Military expenditure in El Salvador
El Salvador: Military expenditure was 1.2% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.2%
Change on year
down 11.3%
World rank
112th
of 165 countries
All-time high
6.6%
in 1985
All-time low
0.6%
in 1970
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Military expenditure in El Salvador, 1965–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
El Salvador recorded 1.2% for military expenditure in 2024.
That represents a change of down 11.3% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in El Salvador peaked at 6.6% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1970.
El Salvador ranks 112th of 165 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.7% | — |
| 1966 | 0.7% | -4.0% |
| 1967 | 0.7% | -2.1% |
| 1968 | 0.7% | -5.6% |
| 1969 | 0.7% | +9.1% |
| 1970 | 0.6% | -12.0% |
| 1971 | 0.7% | +14.0% |
| 1972 | 0.9% | +22.8% |
| 1973 | 0.9% | -1.9% |
| 1974 | 0.8% | -7.3% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | +3.7% |
| 1976 | 0.9% | +6.2% |
| 1977 | 1.0% | +10.2% |
| 1978 | 1.1% | +15.1% |
| 1979 | 1.6% | +41.0% |
| 1980 | 1.7% | +10.1% |
| 1981 | 2.3% | +31.3% |
| 1982 | 2.8% | +21.8% |
| 1983 | 3.6% | +27.9% |
| 1984 | 6.4% | +81.4% |
| 1985 | 6.6% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 4.3% | -34.3% |
| 1987 | 4.5% | +3.2% |
| 1988 | 4.3% | -4.4% |
| 1989 | 4.9% | +14.1% |
| 1990 | 3.4% | -29.9% |
| 1991 | 2.7% | -20.0% |
| 1992 | 2.3% | -17.5% |
| 1993 | 1.7% | -25.5% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | -19.4% |
| 1995 | 1.2% | -13.1% |
| 1996 | 1.1% | -8.6% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | -6.2% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | -8.4% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | -8.7% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | +29.8% |
| 2002 | 1.1% | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | -25.6% |
| 2004 | 0.8% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | +11.6% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | +9.6% |
| 2008 | 1.0% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | +12.2% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 1.1% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | -3.6% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | +8.4% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +16.9% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | -12.3% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | +18.4% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | -6.7% |
| 2024 | 1.2% | -11.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7% | 0.7% | 0.7% | 5 |
| 1970s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 4.1% | 1.7% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 0.9% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 109 Guinea-Bissau 1.2% compare
- 110 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.2% compare
- 111 New Zealand 1.2% compare
- 113 Congo 1.2% compare
- 114 Seychelles 1.2% compare
- 115 Tanzania, United Republic of 1.2% compare
More public sector data for El Salvador
- Arms imports 0 SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 0 SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 67.09 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0122 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -6.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 425.20 million current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 241.31 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in El Salvador?
- Military expenditure in El Salvador was 1.2% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 1985.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1970.
- How does El Salvador rank for military expenditure?
- El Salvador ranks 112th out of 165 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 60 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product