Military expenditure in Iraq
Iraq: Military expenditure was 2.4% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Military expenditure in Iraq, 1960–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 2.4% for military expenditure in 2024.
The figure is up 4.2% on the previous year and down 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Iraq peaked at 12.5% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2022.
That places Iraq 48th out of 164 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Iraq, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 7.1% | — |
| 1961 | 6.9% | -2.8% |
| 1962 | 6.9% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 8.3% | +19.4% |
| 1964 | 8.0% | -3.6% |
| 1965 | 8.9% | +11.5% |
| 1966 | 8.5% | -4.0% |
| 1967 | 8.4% | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 9.2% | +9.4% |
| 1969 | 11.4% | +23.4% |
| 1970 | 11.2% | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 10.5% | -5.8% |
| 1972 | 10.6% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 12.3% | +15.2% |
| 1974 | 12.5% | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 11.7% | -6.6% |
| 1976 | 11.2% | -4.4% |
| 1977 | 9.8% | -12.1% |
| 1978 | 8.1% | -17.3% |
| 1979 | 6.1% | -24.3% |
| 1980 | 5.5% | -10.4% |
| 1981 | 10.8% | +96.5% |
| 2004 | 1.7% | -84.5% |
| 2005 | 2.2% | +33.8% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | -15.4% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | +18.0% |
| 2008 | 2.4% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | +22.4% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | -6.5% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | -15.0% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | -17.5% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | +74.6% |
| 2014 | 3.0% | -11.0% |
| 2015 | 5.4% | +83.5% |
| 2016 | 3.6% | -34.4% |
| 2017 | 3.9% | +10.1% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | -29.6% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | +17.6% |
| 2020 | 3.1% | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | -27.3% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -27.5% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | +38.0% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | +4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 8.3% | 6.9% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.4% | 6.1% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.2% | 5.5% | 10.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 1.7% | 2.9% | 6 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 1.9% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 1.6% | 3.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More public sector data for Iraq
- Arms imports 23.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.4995 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -20.69 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 23.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 134.19 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0221 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 11.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 6.18 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 66.8 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Iraq?
- Military expenditure in Iraq was 2.4% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 12.5% in 1974.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2022.
- How does Iraq rank for military expenditure?
- Iraq ranks 48th out of 164 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq 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