Military expenditure in Nigeria
Nigeria: Military expenditure was 0.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2024)
0.6%
Change on year
down 34.1%
World rank
152nd
of 165 countries
All-time high
10.3%
in 1969
All-time low
0.3%
in 2006
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Military expenditure in Nigeria, 1960–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2024, military expenditure in Nigeria stood at 0.6%.
The figure is down 34.1% on the previous year and up 33.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Nigeria peaked at 10.3% in 1969 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2006.
That places Nigeria 152nd out of 165 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.7% | — |
| 1961 | 0.8% | +22.1% |
| 1962 | 1.1% | +29.1% |
| 1963 | 1.1% | +0.6% |
| 1964 | 1.2% | +11.8% |
| 1965 | 1.4% | +13.6% |
| 1966 | 1.1% | -21.4% |
| 1967 | 5.8% | +427.5% |
| 1968 | 9.2% | +57.7% |
| 1969 | 10.3% | +12.6% |
| 1970 | 5.3% | -48.8% |
| 1971 | 4.4% | -16.8% |
| 1972 | 5.4% | +22.7% |
| 1973 | 5.5% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 4.3% | -20.7% |
| 1975 | 8.1% | +87.0% |
| 1976 | 5.8% | -28.7% |
| 1977 | 6.0% | +4.0% |
| 1978 | 5.3% | -11.6% |
| 1979 | 4.3% | -18.8% |
| 1980 | 3.3% | -23.8% |
| 1981 | 2.8% | -15.9% |
| 1982 | 2.3% | -18.2% |
| 1983 | 2.2% | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 1.6% | -29.9% |
| 1985 | 1.4% | -7.7% |
| 1986 | 1.3% | -8.7% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | -41.3% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | +14.9% |
| 1989 | 0.6% | -34.4% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | +43.7% |
| 1991 | 0.8% | -7.1% |
| 1992 | 0.6% | -27.1% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | +65.5% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | -16.3% |
| 1995 | 0.5% | -38.1% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -16.0% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | +7.3% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | +25.8% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | +56.0% |
| 2000 | 0.5% | -36.5% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | +43.6% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | +22.3% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -40.2% |
| 2004 | 0.5% | -14.0% |
| 2005 | 0.4% | -19.1% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | -12.3% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | +32.1% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | +6.6% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | +7.4% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | -12.9% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -6.9% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | -11.7% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | +17.7% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | -9.4% |
| 2020 | 0.6% | +37.6% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | +60.2% |
| 2022 | 0.7% | -35.8% |
| 2023 | 0.8% | +29.6% |
| 2024 | 0.6% | -34.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.3% | 0.7% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 1970s | 5.4% | 4.3% | 8.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.7% | 0.6% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 149 Argentina 0.6% compare
- 150 Republic of Moldova 0.6% compare
- 151 Gambia 0.6% compare
- 153 Nicaragua 0.5% compare
- 154 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 0.5% compare
- 155 Sierra Leone 0.5% compare
More public sector data for Nigeria
- Arms imports 67.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.2879 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 -27.96 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 67.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 4.87 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0045 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -63.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 1.13 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 102.11 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Nigeria?
- Military expenditure in Nigeria was 0.6% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 10.3% in 1969.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2006.
- How does Nigeria rank for military expenditure?
- Nigeria ranks 152nd out of 165 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Nigeria 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