Military expenditure in Somalia

Somalia: Military expenditure was 1.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.6%
Change on year
up 23.4%
World rank
86th
of 165 countries
All-time high
28.9%
in 1986
All-time low
0.1%
in 1985
Years of data
41
1961–2024

Military expenditure in Somalia, 1961–2024

01020301961199220241961: 0.231 % of GDP1962: 0.254 % of GDP1963: 0.29 % of GDP1964: 0.33 % of GDP1965: 0.297 % of GDP1966: 0.354 % of GDP1967: 0.388 % of GDP1968: 0.407 % of GDP1969: 0.42 % of GDP1970: 0.496 % of GDP1971: 0.483 % of GDP1972: 0.454 % of GDP1973: 0.505 % of GDP1974: 0.727 % of GDP1975: 0.516 % of GDP1976: 0.518 % of GDP1977: 0.461 % of GDP1978: 0.995 % of GDP1979: 0.975 % of GDP1980: 0.55 % of GDP1981: 0.608 % of GDP1982: 0.288 % of GDP1983: 0.239 % of GDP1984: 0.143 % of GDP1985: 0.051 % of GDP1986: 28.9 % of GDP1987: 17 % of GDP1988: 17.4 % of GDP1989: 1.5 % of GDP2013: 0.444 % of GDP2014: 0.935 % of GDP2015: 0.681 % of GDP2016: 0.645 % of GDP2017: 0.749 % of GDP2018: 0.972 % of GDP2019: 0.829 % of GDP2020: 1.1 % of GDP2021: 1.2 % of GDP2022: 1.2 % of GDP2023: 1.3 % of GDP2024: 1.6 % of GDP

Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.

Analysis

Somalia recorded 1.6% for military expenditure in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 23.4% on the previous year and up 69.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military expenditure in Somalia peaked at 28.9% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1985.

That places Somalia 86th out of 165 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Somalia, year by year

Annual values for Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Somalia, 1961 to 2024.
Year % of GDP Change
1961 0.2%
1962 0.3% +10.2%
1963 0.3% +14.0%
1964 0.3% +13.9%
1965 0.3% -10.1%
1966 0.4% +19.1%
1967 0.4% +9.7%
1968 0.4% +5.0%
1969 0.4% +3.0%
1970 0.5% +18.2%
1971 0.5% -2.6%
1972 0.5% -6.1%
1973 0.5% +11.4%
1974 0.7% +43.8%
1975 0.5% -29.0%
1976 0.5% +0.3%
1977 0.5% -11.0%
1978 1.0% +115.9%
1979 1.0% -2.0%
1980 0.5% -43.6%
1981 0.6% +10.5%
1982 0.3% -52.6%
1983 0.2% -17.0%
1984 0.1% -40.2%
1985 0.1% -64.6%
1986 28.9% +56986.1%
1987 17.0% -41.4%
1988 17.4% +2.8%
1989 1.5% -91.2%
2013 0.4% -71.0%
2014 0.9% +110.7%
2015 0.7% -27.1%
2016 0.6% -5.3%
2017 0.7% +16.1%
2018 1.0% +29.8%
2019 0.8% -14.8%
2020 1.1% +37.3%
2021 1.2% +2.9%
2022 1.2% -0.7%
2023 1.3% +10.5%
2024 1.6% +23.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 0.3% 0.2% 0.4% 9
1970s 0.6% 0.5% 1.0% 10
1980s 6.7% 0.1% 28.9% 10
2010s 0.8% 0.4% 1.0% 7
2020s 1.3% 1.1% 1.6% 5

Countries ranked near Somalia

  1. 83 China 1.7% compare
  2. 84 Cyprus 1.6% compare
  3. 85 Italy 1.6% compare
  4. 87 Chile 1.6% compare
  5. 88 Honduras 1.6% compare
  6. 89 Lesotho 1.6% compare

See the full ranking of 210 places →

More public sector data for Somalia

All data for Somalia →

Frequently asked questions

What is military expenditure in Somalia?
Military expenditure in Somalia was 1.6% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Somalia?
The highest recorded value was 28.9% in 1986.
What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Somalia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1985.
How does Somalia rank for military expenditure?
Somalia ranks 86th out of 165 countries with data for 2024.
Is military expenditure rising or falling in Somalia?
Over the last ten years it is up 69.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Somalia 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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Military expenditure in Somalia. Statizoid, drawing on SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/military-expenditure-percent-of-gdp/somalia-fed-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Unit
% of GDP
Source
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
210 places, 10,550 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product