Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Lebanon
Lebanon: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 2.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Military expenditure in Lebanon, 1964–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Lebanon recorded 2.5% for military expenditure in 2025.
That represents a change of up 11.5% on the previous year and down 44.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Lebanon peaked at 13.5% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2022.
That places Lebanon 47th out of 167 countries with data for 2025, 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 (% of GDP) in Lebanon, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 3.7% | — |
| 1965 | 3.9% | +6.4% |
| 1966 | 4.2% | +7.1% |
| 1967 | 4.8% | +16.3% |
| 1968 | 4.8% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 4.6% | -4.1% |
| 1970 | 4.3% | -6.6% |
| 1971 | 4.0% | -7.7% |
| 1972 | 5.1% | +27.2% |
| 1973 | 3.8% | -25.0% |
| 1976 | 12.1% | +217.8% |
| 1977 | 4.7% | -61.0% |
| 1978 | 8.5% | +79.4% |
| 1979 | 10.1% | +18.6% |
| 1980 | 12.4% | +22.7% |
| 1981 | 9.6% | -22.4% |
| 1982 | 9.3% | -3.1% |
| 1983 | 13.5% | +44.9% |
| 1984 | 11.0% | -18.5% |
| 1985 | 6.3% | -42.7% |
| 1986 | 5.3% | -16.3% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | -78.7% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | +5.8% |
| 1990 | 7.6% | +536.4% |
| 1991 | 5.2% | -31.7% |
| 1992 | 8.0% | +54.9% |
| 1993 | 6.0% | -24.7% |
| 1994 | 7.0% | +16.4% |
| 1995 | 6.7% | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 5.7% | -15.6% |
| 1997 | 4.3% | -24.0% |
| 1998 | 4.0% | -6.5% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | +18.6% |
| 2000 | 5.4% | +13.0% |
| 2001 | 5.4% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 4.8% | -12.7% |
| 2003 | 4.7% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 4.5% | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 4.5% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 4.6% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | -13.5% |
| 2009 | 4.0% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 4.1% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 4.0% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 4.7% | +14.3% |
| 2015 | 4.5% | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 5.1% | +13.6% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | -9.7% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | +9.8% |
| 2019 | 4.7% | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | -36.1% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | -61.2% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -13.9% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | +18.8% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | +87.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | +11.5% |
Lebanon compared with similar countries
- Lebanon's 2.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.5%, 1.7× the median. (40 countries reporting)
- Lebanon's 2.5% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 3.6%, 71% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Lebanon changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | +536.4% | 1.2% | 7.6% |
| 1976 | +217.8% | 3.8% | 12.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.3% | 3.7% | 4.8% | 6 |
| 1970s | 6.6% | 3.8% | 12.1% | 8 |
| 1980s | 7.7% | 1.1% | 13.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 5.9% | 4.0% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.7% | 4.0% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.5% | 4.0% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.0% | 3.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lebanon
More public sector data for Lebanon
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 9.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 1.55 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 -35.71 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Lebanon?
- Military expenditure in Lebanon was 2.5% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Lebanon?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 1983.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Lebanon?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2022.
- How does Lebanon rank for military expenditure?
- Lebanon ranks 47th out of 167 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Lebanon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lebanon 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