Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 7.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Least developed countries, 1997–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
Least developed countries recorded 7.7% for military expenditure in 2025.
That represents a change of up 4.1% on the previous year and down 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Least developed countries peaked at 14.7% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 2022.
Least developed countries ranks 15th of 44 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 11.8% | — |
| 1998 | 13.3% | +13.4% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | +9.9% |
| 2000 | 13.4% | -8.8% |
| 2001 | 11.9% | -11.2% |
| 2002 | 11.5% | -3.6% |
| 2003 | 10.5% | -8.2% |
| 2004 | 11.5% | +9.7% |
| 2005 | 10.4% | -10.2% |
| 2006 | 11.0% | +6.0% |
| 2007 | 10.2% | -6.7% |
| 2008 | 9.4% | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 11.0% | +17.1% |
| 2010 | 9.2% | -16.8% |
| 2011 | 8.6% | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 7.6% | -12.2% |
| 2013 | 9.0% | +19.5% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 8.6% | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 8.6% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 7.8% | -9.4% |
| 2018 | 7.3% | -6.0% |
| 2019 | 7.3% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 7.2% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 7.0% | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 6.6% | -4.8% |
| 2023 | 7.2% | +9.2% |
| 2024 | 7.4% | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 7.7% | +4.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.3% | 11.8% | 14.7% | 3 |
| 2000s | 11.1% | 9.4% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.3% | 7.3% | 9.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.2% | 6.6% | 7.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
More public sector data for Least developed countries
- Arms imports 504.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.645 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0005 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -26.74 % change on previous year (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 748.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 19.79 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0152 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 19.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 23.48 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 36.74 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Least developed countries?
- Military expenditure in Least developed countries was 7.7% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 14.7% in 1999.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 2022.
- How does Least developed countries rank for military expenditure?
- Least developed countries ranks 15th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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