Military expenditure in Iran, Islamic Republic of

Iran, Islamic Republic of: Military expenditure was 12.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
12.5%
Change on year
down 16.3%
World rank
26th
of 161 countries
All-time high
19.3%
in 2012
All-time low
5.1%
in 1993
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Military expenditure in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1990–2024

51015201990200720241990: 14.5 % of general government expenditure1991: 12.5 % of general government expenditure1992: 9.9 % of general government expenditure1993: 5.1 % of general government expenditure1994: 7.6 % of general government expenditure1995: 8.5 % of general government expenditure1996: 10.6 % of general government expenditure1997: 11.9 % of general government expenditure1998: 12.9 % of general government expenditure1999: 12.6 % of general government expenditure2000: 14 % of general government expenditure2001: 14.6 % of general government expenditure2002: 11.1 % of general government expenditure2003: 12.1 % of general government expenditure2004: 14.9 % of general government expenditure2005: 13.6 % of general government expenditure2006: 14.3 % of general government expenditure2007: 15.3 % of general government expenditure2008: 13 % of general government expenditure2009: 15.7 % of general government expenditure2010: 16 % of general government expenditure2011: 13 % of general government expenditure2012: 19.3 % of general government expenditure2013: 15.6 % of general government expenditure2014: 14.8 % of general government expenditure2015: 15.5 % of general government expenditure2016: 15.4 % of general government expenditure2017: 16 % of general government expenditure2018: 14.6 % of general government expenditure2019: 14.6 % of general government expenditure2020: 14.4 % of general government expenditure2021: 14.1 % of general government expenditure2022: 13.9 % of general government expenditure2023: 15 % of general government expenditure2024: 12.5 % of general government expenditure

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, Islamic Republic of is 12.5%, measured in 2024.

The figure is down 16.3% on the previous year and down 15.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military expenditure in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 19.3% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 5.1%, in 1993.

Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 26th of 161 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Military expenditure in Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1990 to 2024.
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 13.9% -1.2%
2023 15.0% +7.5%
2024 12.5% -16.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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 14.0% 12.5% 15.0% 5

Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of

  1. 23 Niger 13.8% compare
  2. 24 Syrian Arab Republic 13.6% compare
  3. 25 Guinea 12.8% compare
  4. 27 Burundi 12.5% compare
  5. 28 Brunei Darussalam 12.1% compare
  6. 29 Republic of Korea 11.3% compare

See the full ranking of 204 places →

More public sector data for Iran, Islamic Republic of

All data for Iran, Islamic Republic of →

Frequently asked questions

What is military expenditure in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Military expenditure in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 12.5% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 19.3% in 2012.
What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 5.1% in 1993.
How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for military expenditure?
Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 26th out of 161 countries with data for 2024.
Is military expenditure rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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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Military expenditure in Iran, Islamic Republic of. Statizoid, drawing on SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/military-expenditure-percent-of-general-government-expenditure/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)
Unit
% of general government expenditure
Source
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
204 places, 5,828 data points, 1988–2024
Last refreshed

Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure