Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Singapore
Singapore: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 18.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Singapore, 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 Singapore is 18.0%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 5.2% on the previous year and down 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Singapore peaked at 39.2% in 2007 and was at its lowest, 11.4%, in 2020.
That places Singapore 12th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Singapore, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 29.9% | — |
| 1991 | 27.5% | -8.0% |
| 1992 | 29.6% | +7.8% |
| 1993 | 27.2% | -8.4% |
| 1994 | 33.0% | +21.4% |
| 1995 | 29.4% | -11.0% |
| 1996 | 23.2% | -21.1% |
| 1997 | 30.4% | +31.0% |
| 1998 | 29.3% | -3.6% |
| 1999 | 31.8% | +8.8% |
| 2000 | 27.4% | -13.8% |
| 2001 | 26.5% | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 30.4% | +14.8% |
| 2003 | 30.1% | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 30.6% | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 33.7% | +10.3% |
| 2006 | 30.9% | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 39.2% | +26.8% |
| 2008 | 28.0% | -28.7% |
| 2009 | 23.4% | -16.3% |
| 2010 | 32.2% | +37.6% |
| 2011 | 32.6% | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 31.4% | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 27.6% | -12.1% |
| 2014 | 23.9% | -13.5% |
| 2015 | 21.0% | -12.2% |
| 2016 | 19.8% | -5.5% |
| 2017 | 21.6% | +8.8% |
| 2018 | 20.0% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 19.7% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 11.4% | -42.3% |
| 2021 | 15.4% | +35.5% |
| 2022 | 15.8% | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 18.3% | +16.2% |
| 2024 | 19.0% | +3.8% |
| 2025 | 18.0% | -5.2% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 18.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.8%, 3.8× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 18.0% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.9%, 3.7× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 29.1% | 23.2% | 33.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 30.0% | 23.4% | 39.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.0% | 19.7% | 32.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.3% | 11.4% | 19.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 9 Armenia 19.9% compare
- 10 Russia 19.8% compare
- 11 South Sudan 18.4% compare
- 13 Israel 17.8% compare
- 14 Azerbaijan 17.7% compare
- 15 United Arab Emirates 17.0% compare
More public sector data for Singapore
- 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 57.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 57.65 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0006 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -27.95 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Singapore?
- Military expenditure in Singapore was 18.0% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 39.2% in 2007.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.4% in 2020.
- How does Singapore rank for military expenditure?
- Singapore ranks 12th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Singapore 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