Military expenditure (% of GDP) in Vietnam
Vietnam: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 2.2% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Military expenditure in Vietnam, 1987–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure in Vietnam stood at 2.2%.
That represents a change of up 19.4% on the previous year and down 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Vietnam peaked at 7.9% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 2022.
That places Vietnam 62nd out of 167 countries with data for 2025, 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 (% of GDP) in Vietnam, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 4.0% | — |
| 1988 | 7.1% | +79.6% |
| 1989 | 7.3% | +2.6% |
| 1990 | 7.9% | +8.6% |
| 1991 | 5.6% | -29.3% |
| 1992 | 3.4% | -39.7% |
| 1993 | 2.3% | -33.1% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | +17.3% |
| 2003 | 2.1% | -19.7% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | -5.4% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | -11.6% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | +8.8% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | +18.9% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | -10.2% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | +31.8% |
| 2010 | 1.8% | -32.6% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | +38.0% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | +6.6% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | -6.7% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +5.9% |
| 2016 | 2.5% | -3.7% |
| 2017 | 2.3% | -7.5% |
| 2018 | 2.2% | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 2.2% | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 2.1% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 1.7% | -16.5% |
| 2023 | 1.8% | +6.9% |
| 2024 | 1.8% | -1.7% |
| 2025 | 2.2% | +19.4% |
Vietnam compared with similar countries
- Vietnam's 2.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.4%, 1.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Vietnam's 2.2% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.4%, 1.5× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.1% | 4.0% | 7.3% | 3 |
| 1990s | 4.4% | 2.3% | 7.9% | 5 |
| 2000s | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.7% | 7 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Vietnam
More public sector data for Vietnam
- 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 177.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.5743 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 5.45 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Vietnam?
- Military expenditure in Vietnam was 2.2% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Vietnam?
- The highest recorded value was 7.9% in 1990.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Vietnam?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 2022.
- How does Vietnam rank for military expenditure?
- Vietnam ranks 62nd out of 167 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Vietnam?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Vietnam 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