Military expenditure in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Military expenditure was 0.7% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.7%
Change on year
down 26.3%
World rank
146th
of 164 countries
All-time high
10.3%
in 1989
All-time low
0.6%
in 2019
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Military expenditure in Ethiopia, 1961–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, military expenditure in Ethiopia stood at 0.7%.
That represents a change of down 26.3% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Ethiopia peaked at 10.3% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2019.
That places Ethiopia 146th out of 164 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 1.9% | — |
| 1962 | 1.9% | +4.1% |
| 1963 | 2.4% | +25.7% |
| 1964 | 2.9% | +20.3% |
| 1965 | 3.2% | +10.6% |
| 1966 | 3.1% | -3.8% |
| 1967 | 2.5% | -20.0% |
| 1968 | 2.2% | -11.7% |
| 1969 | 2.0% | -8.0% |
| 1970 | 1.9% | -6.8% |
| 1971 | 1.9% | +1.2% |
| 1972 | 1.9% | +1.6% |
| 1973 | 1.9% | -0.6% |
| 1974 | 2.8% | +45.1% |
| 1975 | 4.5% | +60.7% |
| 1976 | 4.1% | -8.0% |
| 1977 | 4.0% | -4.0% |
| 1978 | 4.8% | +21.2% |
| 1979 | 6.9% | +43.1% |
| 1980 | 8.7% | +26.5% |
| 1981 | 7.5% | -13.5% |
| 1982 | 7.5% | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 7.2% | -4.8% |
| 1984 | 8.0% | +11.0% |
| 1985 | 6.8% | -14.4% |
| 1986 | 6.7% | -1.9% |
| 1987 | 6.9% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 8.5% | +24.0% |
| 1989 | 10.3% | +20.9% |
| 1990 | 9.7% | -6.0% |
| 1991 | 5.7% | -40.9% |
| 1992 | 3.4% | -39.7% |
| 1993 | 3.1% | -10.8% |
| 1994 | 2.9% | -6.6% |
| 1995 | 2.2% | -22.4% |
| 1996 | 2.1% | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | +57.9% |
| 1998 | 7.3% | +117.7% |
| 1999 | 9.5% | +30.6% |
| 2000 | 7.7% | -19.1% |
| 2001 | 4.4% | -42.9% |
| 2002 | 3.8% | -14.5% |
| 2003 | 3.3% | -12.3% |
| 2004 | 3.1% | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 2.8% | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | -18.0% |
| 2007 | 1.9% | -17.8% |
| 2008 | 1.5% | -20.1% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | -20.5% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 1.1% | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 0.9% | -20.4% |
| 2013 | 0.8% | -7.1% |
| 2014 | 0.8% | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 0.7% | -8.2% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | -10.2% |
| 2020 | 0.8% | +34.6% |
| 2021 | 1.6% | +106.1% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | -6.4% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | -41.4% |
| 2024 | 0.7% | -26.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.5% | 1.9% | 3.2% | 9 |
| 1970s | 3.5% | 1.9% | 6.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 7.8% | 6.7% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.9% | 2.1% | 9.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.2% | 1.2% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
- 143 Madagascar 0.7% compare
- 144 South Africa 0.7% compare
- 145 Egypt 0.7% compare
- 147 Cape Verde 0.6% compare
- 148 Argentina 0.6% compare
- 149 Moldova 0.6% compare
More public sector data for Ethiopia
- Arms imports 48.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.3635 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -95.56 % change on previous year (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 48.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 6.98 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0062 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -34.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 921.66 million current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 1.77 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Ethiopia?
- Military expenditure in Ethiopia was 0.7% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 10.3% in 1989.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2019.
- How does Ethiopia rank for military expenditure?
- Ethiopia ranks 146th out of 164 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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.
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About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product