Military expenditure (% of GDP) in World
World: Military expenditure (% of GDP) was 2.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
2.5%
Change on year
up 1.7%
Rank
13th
of 45 groups
All-time high
6.1%
in 1962
All-time low
2.1%
in 2018
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Military expenditure in World, 1960–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure in World stood at 2.5%.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in World peaked at 6.1% in 1962 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2018.
That places World 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 66 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of GDP) in World, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.0% | — |
| 1961 | 6.0% | -1.2% |
| 1962 | 6.1% | +2.9% |
| 1963 | 5.9% | -4.6% |
| 1964 | 5.4% | -8.1% |
| 1965 | 5.2% | -4.2% |
| 1966 | 5.5% | +6.3% |
| 1967 | 5.9% | +7.6% |
| 1968 | 5.7% | -2.7% |
| 1969 | 5.4% | -6.6% |
| 1970 | 5.0% | -7.5% |
| 1971 | 4.5% | -9.6% |
| 1972 | 4.2% | -6.0% |
| 1973 | 3.8% | -10.0% |
| 1974 | 3.8% | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 3.8% | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 3.7% | -3.7% |
| 1977 | 3.8% | +1.9% |
| 1978 | 3.6% | -4.8% |
| 1979 | 3.5% | -2.0% |
| 1980 | 3.5% | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 3.8% | +7.7% |
| 1982 | 4.3% | +13.6% |
| 1983 | 4.2% | -3.2% |
| 1984 | 4.2% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 4.2% | +1.4% |
| 1986 | 3.9% | -7.8% |
| 1987 | 3.8% | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 3.5% | -6.4% |
| 1989 | 3.4% | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 3.3% | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 3.0% | -8.9% |
| 1992 | 2.9% | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 2.8% | -5.8% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | -6.7% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | -9.0% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 2.3% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 2.2% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 2.2% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 2.2% | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 2.3% | +4.7% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | +2.7% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 2.4% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 2.6% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 2.5% | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | -4.3% |
| 2012 | 2.4% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 2.3% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 2.2% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.2% | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 2.1% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 2.3% | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -6.6% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | +3.9% |
| 2024 | 2.4% | +7.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 5.7% | 5.2% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 4.0% | 3.5% | 5.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.9% | 3.4% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.2% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near World
More public sector data for World
- Arms imports 33.33 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 3.54 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -2.86 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 28.82 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 325.74 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0237 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 11.18 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 2.65 trillion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 228.6 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in World?
- Military expenditure in World 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 1962.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2018.
- How does World rank for military expenditure?
- World ranks 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this World 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