Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Benin
Benin: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 4.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Benin, 1989–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure in Benin stood at 4.8%.
That represents a change of up 11.7% on the previous year and up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Benin peaked at 10.5% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 2001.
That places Benin 91st out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 10.5% | — |
| 1990 | 9.2% | -11.7% |
| 1999 | 4.5% | -51.1% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -41.6% |
| 2001 | 2.3% | -12.2% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | +75.8% |
| 2003 | 4.7% | +16.1% |
| 2004 | 5.1% | +7.0% |
| 2005 | 4.8% | -4.8% |
| 2006 | 5.1% | +6.3% |
| 2008 | 4.6% | -10.8% |
| 2012 | 4.9% | +8.1% |
| 2013 | 4.6% | -6.4% |
| 2014 | 4.9% | +6.8% |
| 2015 | 4.4% | -10.7% |
| 2016 | 4.4% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 5.2% | +18.6% |
| 2018 | 3.8% | -26.1% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | -15.2% |
| 2020 | 2.4% | -25.8% |
| 2021 | 2.8% | +15.3% |
| 2022 | 3.2% | +14.7% |
| 2023 | 4.0% | +24.2% |
| 2024 | 4.3% | +9.2% |
| 2025 | 4.8% | +11.7% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 4.8% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 83% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Benin's 4.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.9%, 82% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.5% | 10.5% | 10.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 6.9% | 4.5% | 9.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 4.2% | 2.3% | 5.1% | 8 |
| 2010s | 4.4% | 3.2% | 5.2% | 8 |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 2.4% | 4.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More public sector data for Benin
- 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 4.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.4149 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 -45.45 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Benin?
- Military expenditure in Benin was 4.8% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 10.5% in 1989.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 2001.
- How does Benin rank for military expenditure?
- Benin ranks 91st out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin 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