Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Paraguay
Paraguay: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 0.9% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.9%
Change on year
down 5.9%
World rank
135th
of 167 countries
All-time high
3.8%
in 1972
All-time low
0.7%
in 2008
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Military expenditure in Paraguay, 1960–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Paraguay recorded 0.9% for military expenditure in 2025.
The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 18.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Paraguay peaked at 3.8% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 2008.
That places Paraguay 135th out of 167 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Paraguay, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.5% | — |
| 1961 | 2.3% | -9.9% |
| 1962 | 2.3% | +0.8% |
| 1963 | 2.4% | +4.4% |
| 1964 | 2.4% | +0.2% |
| 1965 | 2.6% | +9.5% |
| 1966 | 2.9% | +10.8% |
| 1967 | 3.0% | +3.9% |
| 1968 | 3.2% | +5.9% |
| 1969 | 3.2% | -1.5% |
| 1970 | 3.3% | +4.9% |
| 1971 | 3.2% | -2.7% |
| 1972 | 3.8% | +19.3% |
| 1973 | 3.4% | -11.2% |
| 1974 | 2.6% | -25.0% |
| 1975 | 3.1% | +21.9% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | -4.3% |
| 1977 | 2.9% | -3.4% |
| 1978 | 3.0% | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 2.0% | -31.5% |
| 1980 | 2.2% | +7.7% |
| 1981 | 2.5% | +15.9% |
| 1982 | 3.8% | +50.5% |
| 1983 | 3.6% | -4.2% |
| 1984 | 3.5% | -3.8% |
| 1985 | 3.8% | +7.1% |
| 1986 | 3.8% | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 2.8% | -27.1% |
| 1988 | 3.2% | +15.2% |
| 1989 | 2.4% | -24.1% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | -12.1% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | +32.7% |
| 1992 | 2.4% | -16.3% |
| 1993 | 2.2% | -8.0% |
| 1994 | 2.0% | -6.0% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | +11.6% |
| 1996 | 2.1% | -9.6% |
| 1997 | 1.7% | -18.3% |
| 1998 | 1.5% | -8.5% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | -10.0% |
| 2000 | 1.2% | -10.4% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | -13.7% |
| 2002 | 1.0% | -9.6% |
| 2003 | 0.8% | -15.0% |
| 2004 | 0.9% | +6.3% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | -17.8% |
| 2006 | 0.8% | +10.0% |
| 2007 | 0.7% | -6.6% |
| 2008 | 0.7% | -7.9% |
| 2009 | 0.8% | +10.3% |
| 2010 | 0.8% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | +12.5% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | +14.2% |
| 2013 | 1.0% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | +8.2% |
| 2016 | 1.0% | -10.9% |
| 2017 | 0.9% | -6.1% |
| 2018 | 1.0% | +7.7% |
| 2019 | 1.0% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | +5.5% |
| 2021 | 0.9% | -10.6% |
| 2022 | 0.9% | -5.1% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | +5.8% |
| 2024 | 0.9% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 0.9% | -5.9% |
Paraguay compared with similar countries
- Paraguay's 0.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.4%, 62% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Paraguay's 0.9% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.0%, 88% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.7% | 2.3% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 3.0% | 2.0% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.2% | 2.2% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.1% | 1.4% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Paraguay
More public sector data for Paraguay
- 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 24.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.748 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2013)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Paraguay?
- Military expenditure in Paraguay was 0.9% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Paraguay?
- The highest recorded value was 3.8% in 1972.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Paraguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 2008.
- How does Paraguay rank for military expenditure?
- Paraguay ranks 135th out of 167 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Paraguay?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Paraguay 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