Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 6.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Europe & Central Asia, 1988–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
Europe & Central Asia recorded 6.5% for military expenditure in 2025. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.3% on the previous year and up 70.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 6.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2020.
That places Europe & Central Asia 23rd out of 44 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Europe & Central Asia, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 6.1% | — |
| 1989 | 5.9% | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 5.6% | -6.0% |
| 1991 | 5.2% | -7.2% |
| 1992 | 4.7% | -8.5% |
| 1993 | 4.4% | -6.7% |
| 1994 | 4.3% | -2.7% |
| 1995 | 4.0% | -8.1% |
| 1996 | 4.0% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 4.1% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 4.1% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 4.1% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 4.3% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 4.2% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 4.2% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 4.2% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 4.2% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 4.1% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 4.1% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 4.1% | -1.2% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 3.9% | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 3.9% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 4.0% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 3.9% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 3.9% | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 3.9% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 3.8% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 3.9% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 4.0% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 3.7% | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 3.7% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 4.6% | +23.9% |
| 2023 | 5.0% | +9.2% |
| 2024 | 5.6% | +12.3% |
| 2025 | 6.5% | +16.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.0% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.5% | 4.0% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.1% | 3.9% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 3.8% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.9% | 3.7% | 6.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
More public sector data for Europe & Central Asia
- Arms imports 14.57 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 15.26 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0005 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 23.95 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 14.17 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 774.37 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0245 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 19.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 719.05 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 416.81 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Europe & Central Asia?
- Military expenditure in Europe & Central Asia was 6.5% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2020.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for military expenditure?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 23rd out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 70.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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