Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Germany
Germany: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 4.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Germany, 1991–2025
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 Germany is 4.5%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 20.9% on the previous year and up 79.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Germany peaked at 4.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2015.
That places Germany 99th 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 35 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Germany, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.2% | — |
| 1992 | 3.9% | -8.6% |
| 1993 | 3.5% | -10.5% |
| 1994 | 3.2% | -8.4% |
| 1995 | 2.7% | -15.3% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | +9.2% |
| 1997 | 2.9% | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 2.9% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 2.7% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 2.6% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 2.6% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 2.7% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 2.7% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 2.6% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 2.6% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | -4.7% |
| 2014 | 2.5% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 2.5% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 2.5% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 2.5% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 2.6% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 2.7% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 2.6% | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 2.7% | +7.3% |
| 2023 | 3.1% | +13.6% |
| 2024 | 3.7% | +19.1% |
| 2025 | 4.5% | +20.9% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 4.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.8%, 94% of the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Germany's 4.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.8%, 93% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.2% | 2.7% | 4.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.6% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 2.6% | 4.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More public sector data for Germany
- 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 1.63 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 2.86 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 19.5 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Germany?
- Military expenditure in Germany was 4.5% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 4.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2015.
- How does Germany rank for military expenditure?
- Germany ranks 99th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is up 79.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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