Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Finland
Finland: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 4.4% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Military expenditure in Finland, 1988–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Finland is 4.4%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.9% on the previous year and up 71.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Finland peaked at 4.4% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.4%, in 2021.
That places Finland 104th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Finland, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 3.2% | — |
| 1989 | 3.2% | +0.6% |
| 1990 | 3.2% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 3.1% | -3.9% |
| 1992 | 3.0% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 2.8% | -6.1% |
| 1994 | 2.7% | -3.9% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | -13.3% |
| 1996 | 2.6% | +10.4% |
| 1997 | 2.8% | +6.7% |
| 1998 | 2.8% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 2.5% | -14.0% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | +7.8% |
| 2001 | 2.5% | -6.4% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 3.0% | +23.2% |
| 2004 | 3.0% | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 3.0% | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 3.0% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 2.8% | -7.7% |
| 2008 | 2.9% | +5.3% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 2.8% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 2.7% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 2.5% | -6.1% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 2.6% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 2.5% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 2.6% | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 2.5% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 2.5% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 2.4% | -5.3% |
| 2022 | 3.0% | +27.9% |
| 2023 | 3.6% | +18.9% |
| 2024 | 3.8% | +5.1% |
| 2025 | 4.4% | +16.9% |
Finland compared with similar countries
- Finland's 4.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.8%, 92% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Finland's 4.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.8%, 92% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.2% | 3.2% | 3.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.8% | 2.4% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.4% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 2.4% | 4.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Finland
More public sector data for Finland
- 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 51.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 11.39 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 72.97 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Finland?
- Military expenditure in Finland was 4.4% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 4.4% in 2025.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.4% in 2021.
- How does Finland rank for military expenditure?
- Finland ranks 104th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 71.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Finland 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