Military expenditure in Australia
Australia: Military expenditure was 5.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Australia, 1988–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2024, military expenditure in Australia stood at 5.0%.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Australia peaked at 7.0% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2013.
Australia ranks 83rd of 161 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Military expenditure in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 7.0% | — |
| 1989 | 6.9% | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 6.8% | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 6.5% | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 6.4% | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 6.4% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 6.3% | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 6.0% | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 5.8% | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 5.7% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 5.4% | -5.2% |
| 1999 | 5.2% | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 5.2% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 5.2% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 5.4% | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 5.3% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 5.2% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 5.2% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 5.3% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 5.3% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 5.1% | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 5.1% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 5.0% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 4.8% | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 4.6% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 4.5% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 4.8% | +7.0% |
| 2015 | 5.2% | +8.6% |
| 2016 | 5.6% | +7.0% |
| 2017 | 5.5% | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | -5.7% |
| 2019 | 4.8% | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 4.5% | -6.5% |
| 2021 | 4.7% | +4.8% |
| 2022 | 5.0% | +5.9% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 5.0% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.0% | 6.9% | 7.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 6.0% | 5.2% | 6.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.2% | 5.1% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 4.5% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.9% | 4.5% | 5.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More public sector data for Australia
- Arms imports 983.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 36.15 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0006 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 159.37 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 983.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 1,244 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0192 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 4.42 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 33.82 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 49.27 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Australia?
- Military expenditure in Australia was 5.0% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.0% in 1988.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2013.
- How does Australia rank for military expenditure?
- Australia ranks 83rd out of 161 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure