Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 1.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Military expenditure in Papua New Guinea, 1988–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure in Papua New Guinea stood at 1.6%.
The figure is up 12.0% on the previous year and down 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Papua New Guinea peaked at 5.9% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2024.
That places Papua New Guinea 154th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 4.5% | — |
| 1989 | 4.5% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 5.9% | +29.7% |
| 1991 | 4.2% | -28.6% |
| 1992 | 4.0% | -5.5% |
| 1993 | 4.0% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 5.3% | +34.8% |
| 1995 | 4.6% | -13.6% |
| 1996 | 5.9% | +27.6% |
| 1997 | 5.3% | -9.7% |
| 1998 | 4.5% | -16.1% |
| 1999 | 3.3% | -26.5% |
| 2000 | 3.2% | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -18.7% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | -27.8% |
| 2003 | 1.9% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | +18.5% |
| 2008 | 1.7% | -25.3% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 1.8% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 2.3% | +27.8% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | -22.7% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | +12.4% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -9.3% |
| 2017 | 1.9% | +5.9% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -15.9% |
| 2019 | 1.7% | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | -10.3% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | +28.0% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | -23.2% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | -3.4% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | +12.0% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 1.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 27% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 1.6% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.9%, 33% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.7% | 3.3% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
More public sector data for Papua New Guinea
- 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 9.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.8663 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 600 % change on previous year (1997)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Papua New Guinea?
- Military expenditure in Papua New Guinea was 1.6% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1996.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2024.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for military expenditure?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 154th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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