Military expenditure (% of GDP) in OECD members
OECD members: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 2.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
2.5%
Change on year
down 1.3%
Rank
12th
of 45 groups
All-time high
6.6%
in 1962
All-time low
2.1%
in 2000
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Military expenditure in OECD members, 1960–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure in OECD members stood at 2.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in OECD members peaked at 6.6% in 1962 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2000.
OECD members ranks 12th of 45 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in OECD members, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.5% | — |
| 1961 | 6.4% | -0.8% |
| 1962 | 6.6% | +2.0% |
| 1963 | 6.2% | -5.1% |
| 1964 | 5.7% | -8.4% |
| 1965 | 5.4% | -5.2% |
| 1966 | 5.8% | +6.7% |
| 1967 | 6.2% | +7.5% |
| 1968 | 6.1% | -2.7% |
| 1969 | 5.6% | -7.5% |
| 1970 | 5.1% | -8.3% |
| 1971 | 4.6% | -10.4% |
| 1972 | 4.3% | -6.4% |
| 1973 | 3.9% | -10.1% |
| 1974 | 3.9% | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 3.8% | -2.5% |
| 1976 | 3.6% | -5.3% |
| 1977 | 3.5% | -1.6% |
| 1978 | 3.3% | -5.4% |
| 1979 | 3.3% | -0.4% |
| 1980 | 3.4% | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 3.7% | +7.3% |
| 1982 | 4.2% | +15.7% |
| 1983 | 4.1% | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 4.1% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 4.2% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 4.0% | -5.5% |
| 1987 | 3.7% | -5.6% |
| 1988 | 3.5% | -6.8% |
| 1989 | 3.4% | -2.3% |
| 1990 | 3.3% | -4.5% |
| 1991 | 2.9% | -9.8% |
| 1992 | 2.9% | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | -5.9% |
| 1994 | 2.5% | -7.2% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | -8.7% |
| 1996 | 2.2% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 2.2% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 2.1% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 2.1% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 2.1% | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 2.3% | +6.2% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 2.4% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 2.4% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 2.5% | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | -3.3% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | +8.0% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | -5.4% |
| 2022 | 2.3% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | +2.7% |
| 2024 | 2.5% | +8.6% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.1% | 5.4% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.9% | 3.3% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.8% | 3.4% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.3% | 2.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More public sector data for OECD members
- Arms imports 13.96 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 8.5 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 26.58 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 11.87 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 1,238 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0253 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 12.54 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 1.73 trillion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 265.52 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in OECD members?
- Military expenditure in OECD members 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 1962.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2000.
- How does OECD members rank for military expenditure?
- OECD members ranks 12th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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