Military expenditure in Ireland
Ireland: Military expenditure was 1.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Ireland, 1988–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 1.0% for military expenditure in 2024.
The figure is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 18.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Ireland peaked at 2.8% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2010.
That places Ireland 158th out of 161 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 37 years of available data.
Military expenditure in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 2.5% | — |
| 1989 | 2.6% | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 2.8% | +6.1% |
| 1991 | 2.8% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 2.6% | -5.7% |
| 1993 | 2.6% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 2.6% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 2.5% | -2.1% |
| 1996 | 2.6% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 2.6% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 2.4% | -5.9% |
| 1999 | 2.3% | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 2.3% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 2.2% | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | -11.7% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | -6.7% |
| 2004 | 1.7% | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | -5.4% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -6.6% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | -6.6% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | -7.6% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | -30.9% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | +30.2% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | +2.4% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 1.2% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.1% | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 1.1% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 1.0% | -14.0% |
| 2021 | 1.0% | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 1.0% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.6% | 2.3% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.3% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 1.0% | 1.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 155 Zimbabwe 1.3% compare
- 156 Papua New Guinea 1.3% compare
- 157 Malta 1.3% compare
- 159 Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.8% compare
- 160 Mauritius 0.5% compare
- 161 Sierra Leone 0.0% compare
More public sector data for Ireland
- Arms imports 63.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 11.86 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -74.29 % change on previous year (2020)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 63.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 246.58 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0022 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 4.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 1.33 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 914.5 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Ireland?
- Military expenditure in Ireland was 1.0% in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.8% in 1991.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2010.
- How does Ireland rank for military expenditure?
- Ireland ranks 158th out of 161 countries with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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