Comparing Military Spend Around the World
One of the easiest ways to identify a nation’s priorities is by tracking its expenditures, and military spend is no different.
Usually spending is measured, and ranked, in absolute amounts. For example, countries around the world collectively spent $2.1 trillion on their militaries in 2021, with the most coming from the U.S. ($800 billion), China ($293 billion), and India ($77 billion).
But these eye-popping figures are best understood in the context of each country’s economy. Using data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Varun Jain has visualized 158 countries’ military expenditures, both as a percentage of their total GDP as well as in average per-capita spend.
Countries’ Military Spend as a Percentage of their Economy
To begin, Jain identified three categories of military expenditure as a percent of GDP, using the five-year (2018‒2022) average for more consistent data:
Military Spend | % of GDP | Countries |
---|---|---|
High | Above 5% | 7 |
Medium | 2‒5% | 44 |
Low | Below 2% | 107 |
Under this categorization, the stand outs are the countries spending an outsized amount of their economic output on military, rather than the highest total spenders in absolute terms.
At the top of the table is Ukraine, which has earmarked a staggering average of 9.46% of its total economic output on defense over the past five years. That’s well ahead of second-place Saudi Arabia, which is slightly above 8%.
In Ukraine’s case, its high ranking shows how quickly priorities can change. From 2018 to 2021, the country spent 3.2-3.8% of its GDP on its military, but the outbreak of war with Russia saw its expenditures jump to one-third of economic output.
Other countries from the Middle East and North Africa follow in this tier, with Oman third at 8.11% and Qatar fourth with 5.88%. Rounding out the top seven high spenders are Algeria, Kuwait, and Israel.
Rank | Country | Military Spend | % of GDP |
---|---|---|---|
1 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | High | 9.46% |
2 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | High | 8.19% |
3 | 🇴🇲 Oman | High | 8.11% |
4 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | High | 5.88% |
5 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | High | 5.70% |
6 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | High | 5.66% |
7 | 🇮🇱 Israel | High | 5.09% |
8 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | Medium | 4.81% |
9 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | Medium | 4.53% |
10 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | Medium | 4.53% |
11 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | Medium | 4.01% |
12 | 🇷🇺 Russia | Medium | 3.98% |
13 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | Medium | 3.79% |
14 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | Medium | 3.75% |
15 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | Medium | 3.72% |
16 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | Medium | 3.56% |
17 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | Medium | 3.48% |
18 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | Medium | 3.24% |
19 | 🇬🇷 Greece | Medium | 3.15% |
20 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | Medium | 3.09% |
21 | 🇧🇳 Brunei | Medium | 3.09% |
22 | 🇸🇸 South Sudan | Medium | 3.05% |
23 | 🇹🇬 Togo | Medium | 3.03% |
24 | 🇲🇱 Mali | Medium | 2.90% |
25 | 🇨🇺 Cuba | Medium | 2.88% |
26 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | Medium | 2.86% |
27 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | Medium | 2.86% |
28 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | Medium | 2.76% |
29 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | Medium | 2.70% |
30 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | Medium | 2.69% |
31 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | Medium | 2.69% |
32 | 🇨🇬 Republic of Congo | Medium | 2.68% |
33 | 🇹🇩 Chad | Medium | 2.66% |
34 | 🇮🇳 India | Medium | 2.58% |
35 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | Medium | 2.58% |
36 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | Medium | 2.34% |
37 | 🇮🇷 Iran | Medium | 2.32% |
38 | 🇻🇳 Viet Nam | Medium | 2.28% |
39 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | Medium | 2.26% |
40 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | Medium | 2.24% |
41 | 🇳🇪 Niger | Medium | 2.21% |
42 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | Medium | 2.21% |
43 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | Medium | 2.19% |
44 | 🇵🇱 Poland | Medium | 2.17% |
45 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | Medium | 2.14% |
46 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | Medium | 2.13% |
47 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | Medium | 2.13% |
48 | 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | Medium | 2.12% |
49 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | Medium | 2.11% |
50 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | Medium | 2.06% |
51 | 🇺🇬 Uganda | Medium | 2.02% |
52 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | Low | 1.97% |
53 | 🇦🇺 Australia | Low | 1.93% |
54 | 🇨🇱 Chile | Low | 1.92% |
55 | 🇫🇷 France | Low | 1.91% |
56 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | Low | 1.90% |
57 | 🇷🇴 Romania | Low | 1.87% |
58 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | Low | 1.85% |
59 | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | Low | 1.82% |
60 | 🇳🇴 Norway | Low | 1.81% |
61 | 🇨🇫 Central African Republic | Low | 1.78% |
62 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | Low | 1.77% |
63 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | Low | 1.77% |
64 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | Low | 1.76% |
65 | 🇨🇳 China | Low | 1.72% |
66 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | Low | 1.71% |
67 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | Low | 1.67% |
68 | 🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau | Low | 1.65% |
69 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | Low | 1.62% |
70 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | Low | 1.61% |
71 | 🇫🇮 Finland | Low | 1.60% |
72 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | Low | 1.58% |
73 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | Low | 1.56% |
74 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | Low | 1.56% |
75 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | Low | 1.56% |
76 | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | Low | 1.56% |
77 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | Low | 1.54% |
78 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | Low | 1.54% |
79 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | Low | 1.49% |
80 | 🇦🇴 Angola | Low | 1.48% |
81 | 🇮🇹 Italy | Low | 1.48% |
82 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | Low | 1.48% |
83 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | Low | 1.46% |
84 | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | Low | 1.43% |
85 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Low | 1.41% |
86 | 🇸🇩 Sudan | Low | 1.39% |
87 | 🇷🇼 Rwanda | Low | 1.39% |
88 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | Low | 1.36% |
89 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | Low | 1.36% |
90 | 🇦🇱 Albania | Low | 1.34% |
91 | 🇪🇸 Spain | Low | 1.34% |
92 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | Low | 1.33% |
93 | 🇦🇫 Afghanistan | Low | 1.33% |
94 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | Low | 1.32% |
95 | 🇨🇦 Canada | Low | 1.32% |
96 | 🇩🇪 Germany | Low | 1.31% |
97 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | Low | 1.30% |
98 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | Low | 1.29% |
99 | 🇧🇿 Belize | Low | 1.28% |
100 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | Low | 1.28% |
101 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | Low | 1.26% |
102 | 🇿🇲 Zambia | Low | 1.25% |
103 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | Low | 1.24% |
104 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | Low | 1.22% |
105 | 🇨🇮 Cote d’Ivoire | Low | 1.22% |
106 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | Low | 1.20% |
107 | 🇵🇪 Peru | Low | 1.20% |
108 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | Low | 1.18% |
109 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | Low | 1.17% |
110 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | Low | 1.13% |
111 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | Low | 1.10% |
112 | 🇹🇱 Timor Leste | Low | 1.08% |
113 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | Low | 1.05% |
114 | 🇨🇲 Cameroon | Low | 1.04% |
115 | 🇹🇯 Tajikistan | Low | 1.03% |
116 | 🇯🇵 Japan | Low | 1.03% |
117 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | Low | 1.02% |
118 | 🇱🇷 Liberia | Low | 1.00% |
119 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | Low | 0.98% |
120 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | Low | 0.96% |
121 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | Low | 0.95% |
122 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | Low | 0.95% |
123 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | Low | 0.94% |
124 | 🇲🇼 Malawi | Low | 0.92% |
125 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | Low | 0.84% |
126 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | Low | 0.83% |
127 | 🇦🇹 Austria | Low | 0.78% |
128 | 🇬🇲 Gambia | Low | 0.76% |
129 | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | Low | 0.75% |
130 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | Low | 0.74% |
131 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | Low | 0.73% |
132 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | Low | 0.71% |
133 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | Low | 0.70% |
134 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | Low | 0.69% |
135 | 🇲🇬 Madagascar | Low | 0.68% |
136 | 🇨🇩 Dem. Rep. of Congo | Low | 0.64% |
137 | 🇳🇬 Nigeria | Low | 0.64% |
138 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | Low | 0.64% |
139 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | Low | 0.64% |
140 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | Low | 0.63% |
141 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | Low | 0.61% |
142 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | Low | 0.61% |
143 | 🇳🇮 Nicaragua | Low | 0.60% |
144 | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | Low | 0.54% |
145 | 🇧🇯 Benin | Low | 0.54% |
146 | 🇲🇹 Malta | Low | 0.48% |
147 | 🇬🇹 Guatemala | Low | 0.45% |
148 | 🇬🇭 Ghana | Low | 0.43% |
149 | 🇵🇬 Papua New Guinea | Low | 0.38% |
150 | 🇲🇩 Moldova | Low | 0.36% |
151 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | Low | 0.27% |
152 | 🇿🇼 Zimbabwe | Low | 0.26% |
153 | 🇻🇪 Venezuela | Low | 0.20% |
154 | 🇭🇹 Haiti | Low | 0.17% |
155 | 🇲🇺 Mauritius | Low | 0.16% |
156 | 🇨🇷 Costa Rica | Low | 0.00% |
157 | 🇮🇸 Iceland | Low | 0.00% |
158 | 🇵🇦 Panama | Low | 0.00% |
The medium group consists of 44 countries and is led by four nations (Jordan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Lebanon) that all spend more than 4% of their GDP on their militaries. Other familiar countries known to have large military budgets, like Russia, Pakistan, the U.S., India and the UK, are also in this category.
The low spend group has a total of 107 countries, but also contains some surprises. For example, China, France, and Germany—all in the top 10 countries by absolute military spend—actually have similar amounts of military spend as a percent of GDP as Georgia, Cyprus, and North Macedonia respectively.
At the bottom of the table are countries with either low military importance, or strange technicalities. For example, Mauritius is one of the countries with the lowest military budgets because it doesn’t officially have a standing military, instead relying on two paramilitary forces (a special mobile force and a Coast Guard).
Similarly, Iceland allocates 0% of its GDP towards military spending. In place of a standing army, the country maintains a specialized peacekeeping force, a substantial Coast Guard, and relies on security alliances within NATO, of which it is a member and provides financial support to.
Ranking Defense Spending Per Capita
While the measure above equalizes military spend on economic strength, per-capita military spending shows how much countries allocate while accounting for population size.
On a per-capita basis (again using a five-year average), Qatar leads the ranks with a per-capita spend of $4,564, well-ahead of Israel at $2,535, and Saudi Arabia at $1,928.
Rank | Country | Per Capita Spend ($) |
---|---|---|
1 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | $4,564 |
2 | 🇮🇱 Israel | $2,535 |
3 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | $1,928 |
4 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | $1,837 |
5 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | $1,815 |
6 | 🇺🇸 U.S. | $1,815 |
7 | 🇳🇴 Norway | $1,438 |
8 | 🇴🇲 Oman | $1,254 |
9 | 🇦🇺 Australia | $1,131 |
10 | 🇧🇳 Brunei | $959 |
11 | 🇬🇧 UK | $913 |
12 | 🇰🇷 South Korea | $894 |
13 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | $863 |
14 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | $861 |
15 | 🇫🇷 France | $811 |
16 | 🇫🇮 Finland | $801 |
17 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | $765 |
18 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | $694 |
19 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | $662 |
20 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | $647 |
21 | 🇨🇦 Canada | $645 |
22 | 🇬🇷 Greece | $629 |
23 | 🇩🇪 Germany | $623 |
24 | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | $610 |
25 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | $535 |
26 | 🇹🇼 Taiwan | $495 |
27 | 🇮🇹 Italy | $494 |
28 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | $487 |
29 | 🇷🇺 Russia | $467 |
30 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | $463 |
31 | 🇵🇹 Portugal | $417 |
32 | 🇱🇻 Latvia | $405 |
33 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | $399 |
34 | 🇯🇵 Japan | $398 |
35 | 🇪🇸 Spain | $395 |
36 | 🇦🇹 Austria | $393 |
37 | 🇵🇱 Poland | $359 |
38 | 🇺🇾 Uruguay | $354 |
39 | 🇸🇰 Slovakia | $334 |
40 | 🇱🇧 Lebanon | $334 |
41 | 🇸🇮 Slovenia | $302 |
42 | 🇺🇦 Ukraine | $302 |
43 | 🇭🇷 Croatia | $294 |
44 | 🇨🇱 Chile | $292 |
45 | 🇷🇴 Romania | $258 |
46 | 🇭🇺 Hungary | $248 |
47 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | $235 |
48 | 🇸🇨 Seychelles | $230 |
49 | 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan | $226 |
50 | 🇩🇿 Algeria | $219 |
51 | 🇦🇲 Armenia | $217 |
52 | 🇧🇼 Botswana | $215 |
53 | 🇯🇴 Jordan | $207 |
54 | 🇹🇷 Turkey | $199 |
55 | 🇨🇴 Colombia | $197 |
56 | 🇧🇬 Bulgaria | $194 |
57 | 🇨🇳 China | $183 |
58 | 🇲🇹 Malta | $175 |
59 | 🇨🇿 Czech Republic | $175 |
60 | 🇮🇷 Iran | $169 |
61 | 🇳🇦 Namibia | $159 |
62 | 🇮🇶 Iraq | $145 |
63 | 🇪🇨 Ecuador | $138 |
64 | 🇲🇪 Montenegro | $137 |
65 | 🇷🇸 Serbia | $133 |
66 | 🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago | $131 |
67 | 🇬🇦 Gabon | $124 |
68 | 🇲🇦 Morocco | $122 |
69 | 🇬🇶 Equatorial Guinea | $112 |
70 | 🇲🇾 Malaysia | $109 |
71 | 🇧🇷 Brazil | $107 |
72 | 🇹🇭 Thailand | $97 |
73 | 🇬🇾 Guyana | $92 |
74 | 🇹🇳 Tunisia | $91 |
75 | 🇫🇯 Fiji | $83 |
76 | 🇲🇰 North Macedonia | $83 |
77 | 🇰🇿 Kazakhstan | $82 |
78 | 🇵🇪 Peru | $81 |
79 | 🇬🇪 Georgia | $80 |
80 | 🇧🇾 Belarus | $80 |
81 | 🇯🇲 Jamaica | $77 |
82 | 🇦🇱 Albania | $76 |
83 | 🇸🇿 Eswatini | $72 |
84 | 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka | $69 |
85 | 🇦🇷 Argentina | $66 |
86 | 🇧🇿 Belize | $60 |
87 | 🇲🇽 Mexico | $59 |
88 | 🇩🇴 Dominican Republic | $58 |
89 | 🇻🇳 Viet Nam | $58 |
90 | 🇿🇦 South Africa | $56 |
91 | 🇸🇻 El Salvador | $54 |
92 | 🇧🇦 Bosnia and Herzegovina | $54 |
93 | 🇮🇳 India | $53 |
94 | 🇨🇬 Republic of Congo | $53 |
95 | 🇵🇾 Paraguay | $52 |
96 | 🇧🇴 Bolivia | $51 |
97 | 🇵🇰 Pakistan | $49 |
98 | 🇺🇿 Uzbekistan | $44 |
99 | 🇦🇴 Angola | $43 |
100 | 🇽🇰 Kosovo | $42 |
101 | 🇲🇷 Mauritania | $42 |
102 | 🇭🇳 Honduras | $42 |
103 | 🇪🇬 Egypt | $41 |
104 | 🇰🇭 Cambodia | $36 |
105 | 🇲🇲 Myanmar | $35 |
106 | 🇵🇭 Philippines | $33 |
107 | 🇲🇳 Mongolia | $33 |
108 | 🇮🇩 Indonesia | $31 |
109 | 🇧🇩 Bangladesh | $27 |
110 | 🇹🇱 Timor Leste | $27 |
111 | 🇲🇱 Mali | $26 |
112 | 🇸🇳 Senegal | $24 |
113 | 🇨🇮 Cote d’Ivoire | $23 |
114 | 🇹🇬 Togo | $21 |
115 | 🇰🇪 Kenya | $21 |
116 | 🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan | $20 |
117 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | $20 |
118 | 🇬🇳 Guinea | $19 |
119 | 🇱🇸 Lesotho | $19 |
120 | 🇨🇻 Cape Verde | $19 |
121 |
Continuar leyendo: Comparing Military Spend Around the World