Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Iran
Iran: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 11.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
11.2%
Change on year
down 6.5%
World rank
28th
of 164 countries
All-time high
19.3%
in 2012
All-time low
5.1%
in 1993
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Military expenditure in Iran, 1990–2025
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 Iran is 11.2%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 28.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Iran peaked at 19.3% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 5.1%, in 1993.
Iran ranks 28th of 164 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Iran, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 14.5% | — |
| 1991 | 12.5% | -13.8% |
| 1992 | 9.9% | -20.7% |
| 1993 | 5.1% | -48.1% |
| 1994 | 7.6% | +47.9% |
| 1995 | 8.5% | +11.8% |
| 1996 | 10.6% | +25.3% |
| 1997 | 11.9% | +11.4% |
| 1998 | 12.9% | +9.1% |
| 1999 | 12.6% | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 14.0% | +11.7% |
| 2001 | 14.6% | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | -23.8% |
| 2003 | 12.1% | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 14.9% | +22.8% |
| 2005 | 13.6% | -8.6% |
| 2006 | 14.3% | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 15.3% | +6.5% |
| 2008 | 13.0% | -14.9% |
| 2009 | 15.7% | +20.9% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 13.0% | -18.5% |
| 2012 | 19.3% | +48.5% |
| 2013 | 15.6% | -19.2% |
| 2014 | 14.8% | -5.2% |
| 2015 | 15.5% | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 15.4% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 16.0% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 14.6% | -8.9% |
| 2019 | 14.6% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 14.4% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 14.1% | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 14.0% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 14.9% | +6.1% |
| 2024 | 11.9% | -19.9% |
| 2025 | 11.2% | -6.5% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 11.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.9%, 2.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Iran's 11.2% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 12.3%, 90% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.6% | 5.1% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.9% | 11.1% | 15.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.5% | 13.0% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.4% | 11.2% | 14.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 25 Burkina Faso 13.2% compare
- 26 Central African Republic 12.5% compare
- 27 Brunei 12.2% compare
- 29 Uzbekistan 11.1% compare
- 30 Bahrain 10.8% compare
- 31 South Korea 10.8% compare
More public sector data for Iran
- Democracy, 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)
- Arms imports 42.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.4587 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 100 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 42.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 86.19 current USD per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Iran?
- Military expenditure in Iran was 11.2% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 19.3% in 2012.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.1% in 1993.
- How does Iran rank for military expenditure?
- Iran ranks 28th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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