Military expenditure in Malawi
Malawi: Military expenditure was 1.0% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
1.0%
Change on year
down 12.0%
World rank
116th
of 164 countries
All-time high
4.1%
in 1979
All-time low
0.3%
in 2000
Years of data
60
1965–2024
Military expenditure in Malawi, 1965–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Malawi is 1.0%, measured in 2024.
The figure is down 12.0% on the previous year and up 76.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Malawi peaked at 4.1% in 1979 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2000.
Malawi ranks 116th of 164 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 0.7% | — |
| 1966 | 0.6% | -8.0% |
| 1967 | 0.7% | +11.0% |
| 1968 | 0.7% | -3.0% |
| 1969 | 0.7% | -3.9% |
| 1970 | 0.6% | -4.0% |
| 1971 | 0.6% | -9.3% |
| 1972 | 0.6% | +3.6% |
| 1973 | 1.1% | +76.1% |
| 1974 | 1.0% | -8.8% |
| 1975 | 1.5% | +57.9% |
| 1976 | 1.4% | -10.0% |
| 1977 | 1.7% | +23.0% |
| 1978 | 2.7% | +59.4% |
| 1979 | 4.1% | +50.9% |
| 1980 | 1.8% | -56.8% |
| 1981 | 1.3% | -27.5% |
| 1982 | 0.9% | -26.5% |
| 1983 | 0.7% | -20.6% |
| 1984 | 0.6% | -14.1% |
| 1985 | 0.7% | +12.3% |
| 1986 | 0.9% | +19.7% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | -11.0% |
| 1988 | 0.6% | -18.9% |
| 1989 | 0.6% | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 0.6% | -6.1% |
| 1991 | 0.4% | -23.5% |
| 1992 | 0.6% | +30.4% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | -11.4% |
| 1994 | 0.6% | +14.4% |
| 1995 | 0.3% | -44.4% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | +11.8% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | +12.2% |
| 1998 | 0.3% | -16.6% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -17.1% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | +10.2% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | -3.5% |
| 2004 | 0.4% | +54.6% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | +65.4% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -25.6% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | +10.2% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | +13.6% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -24.4% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | -8.1% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | +16.1% |
| 2013 | 0.8% | +48.9% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | -28.3% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -22.4% |
| 2016 | 0.5% | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 0.5% | +17.3% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | +11.2% |
| 2019 | 0.8% | +29.1% |
| 2020 | 0.8% | +9.7% |
| 2021 | 0.7% | -12.5% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | +27.8% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | +24.9% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | -12.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 5 |
| 1970s | 1.5% | 0.6% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More public sector data for Malawi
- Arms imports 19.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2022)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.9237 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2022)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0015 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2016)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 19.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2022)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 5.43 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0104 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -21.39 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 117.59 million current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 201.53 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Malawi?
- Military expenditure in Malawi was 1.0% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 4.1% in 1979.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2000.
- How does Malawi rank for military expenditure?
- Malawi ranks 116th out of 164 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 76.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malawi 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