Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Ghana
Ghana: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 2.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
2.4%
Change on year
up 67.8%
World rank
141st
of 164 countries
All-time high
3.4%
in 2000
All-time low
1.1%
in 2020
Years of data
38
1988–2025
Military expenditure in Ghana, 1988–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
Ghana recorded 2.4% for military expenditure in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 67.8% on the previous year and up 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Ghana peaked at 3.4% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2020.
Ghana ranks 141st of 164 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 2.3% | — |
| 1989 | 2.3% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 2.6% | +17.1% |
| 1991 | 3.3% | +25.0% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | -22.6% |
| 1993 | 2.3% | -9.0% |
| 1994 | 2.2% | -5.0% |
| 1995 | 2.4% | +8.7% |
| 1996 | 2.1% | -10.8% |
| 1997 | 2.2% | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 2.6% | +17.7% |
| 1999 | 2.8% | +5.8% |
| 2000 | 3.4% | +23.6% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | -48.0% |
| 2002 | 2.3% | +27.3% |
| 2003 | 2.3% | +2.6% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | -19.4% |
| 2005 | 1.9% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 1.7% | -9.7% |
| 2007 | 2.1% | +20.8% |
| 2008 | 1.7% | -19.2% |
| 2009 | 1.9% | +15.8% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -26.2% |
| 2011 | 2.2% | +56.7% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | +21.1% |
| 2013 | 1.9% | -31.2% |
| 2014 | 2.3% | +24.6% |
| 2015 | 2.1% | -8.8% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | -30.6% |
| 2017 | 1.8% | +21.4% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -12.3% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | -27.1% |
| 2021 | 1.4% | +26.3% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | -13.2% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | +65.6% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | -29.4% |
| 2025 | 2.4% | +67.8% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 2.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 41% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 2.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.9%, 41% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.4% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.1% | 2.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 138 Sierra Leone 2.5% compare
- 139 Mongolia 2.5% compare
- 140 Egypt 2.5% compare
- 142 East Timor 2.4% compare
- 143 Haiti 2.4% compare
- 144 Switzerland 2.4% compare
More public sector data for Ghana
- 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 5.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.3195 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 37.5 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Ghana?
- Military expenditure in Ghana was 2.4% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 2000.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2020.
- How does Ghana rank for military expenditure?
- Ghana ranks 141st out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana 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