Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Uganda
Uganda: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) was 9.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure in Uganda, 1997–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in % of general government expenditure.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure in Uganda stood at 9.0%.
That represents a change of down 14.9% on the previous year and up 32.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Uganda peaked at 16.8% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 2017.
That places Uganda 41st out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % of general government expenditure | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 12.0% | — |
| 1998 | 13.5% | +12.5% |
| 1999 | 13.9% | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 12.0% | -13.8% |
| 2001 | 10.7% | -10.4% |
| 2002 | 10.1% | -6.1% |
| 2003 | 10.6% | +5.4% |
| 2004 | 11.7% | +10.2% |
| 2005 | 12.0% | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 11.3% | -5.7% |
| 2007 | 10.9% | -4.0% |
| 2008 | 10.7% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 10.4% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 16.0% | +54.4% |
| 2011 | 16.8% | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 8.7% | -48.3% |
| 2013 | 7.0% | -19.5% |
| 2014 | 6.9% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 6.9% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 6.7% | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 7.4% | +10.0% |
| 2019 | 9.4% | +26.5% |
| 2020 | 12.1% | +29.0% |
| 2021 | 11.3% | -6.7% |
| 2022 | 10.0% | -11.0% |
| 2023 | 9.7% | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 10.6% | +8.9% |
| 2025 | 9.0% | -14.9% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 9.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 9.3%, 97% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 9.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.9%, 1.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 13.1% | 12.0% | 13.9% | 3 |
| 2000s | 11.0% | 10.1% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.3% | 6.7% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.5% | 9.0% | 12.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More public sector data for Uganda
- 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 2.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.3288 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 -75.38 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Uganda?
- Military expenditure in Uganda was 9.0% in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 16.8% in 2011.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 2017.
- How does Uganda rank for military expenditure?
- Uganda ranks 41st out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 32.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uganda 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