Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Small states
Small states: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 1.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Small states, 1992–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Small states is 1.3%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.0% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Small states peaked at 3.7% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2007.
That places Small states 34th out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Small states, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 3.7% | — |
| 1993 | 2.1% | -43.4% |
| 1994 | 2.2% | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 2.1% | -1.8% |
| 1996 | 2.5% | +17.7% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | -42.0% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | -12.2% |
| 2003 | 1.2% | -2.7% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 1.1% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | +15.6% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -7.4% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 1.1% | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | +5.7% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +14.8% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | -8.8% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | -7.7% |
| 2023 | 1.4% | +15.0% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | +6.4% |
| 2025 | 1.3% | -8.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 5 |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 9 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Small states
More public sector data for Small states
- Arms imports 100.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 8.25 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 162.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 215.46 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2021)
- Tax revenue 20.5% (2019)
- Taxes on income, profits and capital gains 24.1% (2022)
- Taxes on goods and services 33.4% (2022)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets 3.0% (2019)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) -2.2% (2019)
- Interest payments 1.8% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Small states?
- Military expenditure in Small states was 1.3% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 1992.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2007.
- How does Small states rank for military expenditure?
- Small states ranks 34th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Small states 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