Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Somalia
Somalia: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 20.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Somalia, 2013–2025
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 Somalia is 20.8%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 7.8% on the previous year and down 44.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Somalia peaked at 40.4% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 2022.
That places Somalia 7th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Somalia, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 22.3% | — |
| 2014 | 40.4% | +81.6% |
| 2015 | 37.3% | -7.8% |
| 2016 | 34.8% | -6.6% |
| 2017 | 26.0% | -25.4% |
| 2018 | 28.6% | +10.0% |
| 2019 | 22.8% | -20.0% |
| 2020 | 20.8% | -9.0% |
| 2021 | 24.1% | +16.1% |
| 2022 | 16.5% | -31.7% |
| 2023 | 18.9% | +15.0% |
| 2024 | 22.6% | +19.0% |
| 2025 | 20.8% | -7.8% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 20.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 9.3%, 2.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 20.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.9%, 3.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 30.3% | 22.3% | 40.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 20.6% | 16.5% | 24.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More public sector data for Somalia
- Democracy, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1991)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1991)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1991)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2012)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2012)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (1991)
- Arms imports 2.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.2104 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Somalia?
- Military expenditure in Somalia was 20.8% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 40.4% in 2014.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 2022.
- How does Somalia rank for military expenditure?
- Somalia ranks 7th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Somalia 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