Countries With the Lowest Military Spending
Every country with a figure for military spending, ranked from lowest to highest. The top three are Haiti (0.0684%), Mauritius (0.15%) and Lao PDR (0.19%). The middle country of the 160 has 1.71%.
What this measures
Military expenditure (% of GDP). Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). For this measure, no agreed better direction.
The full ranking
Each country’s latest figure, from 2010–2024. The year beside each value says when it was measured.
| Rank | Country | Military spending | Year | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haiti | 0.0684% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 2 | Mauritius | 0.15% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 3 | Lao PDR | 0.19% | 2013 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 4 | Ireland | 0.239% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 5 | Papua New Guinea | 0.308% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 6 | Zimbabwe | 0.351% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 7 | Guatemala | 0.368% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 8 | Ghana | 0.384% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 9 | Kazakhstan | 0.428% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 10 | Malta | 0.451% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 11 | Sierra Leone | 0.463% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 12 | Venezuela, RB | 0.501% | 2023 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 13 | Nicaragua | 0.545% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 14 | Nigeria | 0.555% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 15 | Gambia, The | 0.574% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 16 | Moldova | 0.598% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 17 | Argentina | 0.618% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 18 | Cabo Verde | 0.624% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 19 | Ethiopia | 0.651% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 20 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | 0.665% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 21 | South Africa | 0.7% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 22 | Madagascar | 0.709% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 23 | Liberia | 0.711% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 24 | Switzerland | 0.718% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 25 | Benin | 0.721% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 26 | Mongolia | 0.742% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 27 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0.747% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 28 | Cote d'Ivoire | 0.762% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 29 | Indonesia | 0.779% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 30 | Dominican Republic | 0.782% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 31 | Guyana | 0.868% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 32 | Mexico | 0.893% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 33 | Belize | 0.899% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 34 | Peru | 0.909% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 35 | Trinidad and Tobago | 0.921% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 36 | Sudan | 0.925% | 2021 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 37 | Paraguay | 0.933% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 38 | Bangladesh | 0.941% | 2024 | South Asia |
| 39 | Luxembourg | 0.963% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 40 | Brazil | 0.973% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 41 | Nepal | 0.979% | 2024 | South Asia |
| 42 | Equatorial Guinea | 0.982% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 43 | Malaysia | 0.988% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 44 | Kenya | 1% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 45 | Austria | 1% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 46 | Angola | 1% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 47 | Cameroon | 1.01% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 48 | Malawi | 1.02% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 49 | Thailand | 1.08% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 50 | Tanzania | 1.15% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 51 | Seychelles | 1.18% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 52 | Congo, Rep. | 1.19% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 53 | El Salvador | 1.19% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 54 | New Zealand | 1.19% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 55 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | 1.23% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 56 | Guinea-Bissau | 1.23% | 2023 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 57 | Rwanda | 1.25% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 58 | Jamaica | 1.27% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 59 | Belgium | 1.28% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 60 | Slovenia | 1.31% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 61 | Fiji | 1.31% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 62 | Canada | 1.31% | 2024 | North America |
| 63 | Philippines | 1.32% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 64 | Zambia | 1.33% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 65 | Bolivia | 1.37% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 66 | Japan | 1.37% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 67 | Sri Lanka | 1.43% | 2024 | South Asia |
| 68 | Spain | 1.43% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 69 | Eswatini | 1.44% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 70 | Kosovo | 1.48% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 71 | Cambodia | 1.52% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 72 | Portugal | 1.53% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 73 | Gabon | 1.54% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 74 | Senegal | 1.57% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 75 | Lesotho | 1.57% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 76 | Honduras | 1.58% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 77 | Chile | 1.58% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 78 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | 1.59% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 79 | Italy | 1.61% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 80 | Cyprus | 1.65% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 81 | China | 1.71% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 82 | Croatia | 1.79% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 83 | Viet Nam | 1.81% | 2018 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 84 | Afghanistan | 1.83% | 2021 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 85 | Montenegro | 1.83% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 86 | Tajikistan | 1.85% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 87 | Georgia | 1.86% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 88 | Uganda | 1.88% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 89 | Australia | 1.88% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 90 | Germany | 1.89% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 91 | Netherlands | 1.92% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 92 | Czechia | 1.92% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 93 | Turkiye | 1.92% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 94 | South Sudan | 1.96% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 95 | Mozambique | 1.99% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 96 | Sweden | 2% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 97 | Togo | 2% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 98 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | 2.01% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 99 | Slovak Republic | 2.01% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 100 | Albania | 2.04% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 101 | France | 2.05% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 102 | Guinea | 2.05% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 103 | Belarus | 2.07% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 104 | Norway | 2.09% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 105 | North Macedonia | 2.1% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 106 | Bulgaria | 2.15% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 107 | Mauritania | 2.16% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 108 | Hungary | 2.16% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 109 | Ecuador | 2.22% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 110 | Niger | 2.24% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 111 | India | 2.27% | 2024 | South Asia |
| 112 | United Kingdom | 2.28% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 113 | Romania | 2.3% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 114 | Finland | 2.3% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 115 | Uruguay | 2.31% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 116 | Iraq | 2.36% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 117 | Denmark | 2.42% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 118 | Tunisia | 2.51% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 119 | Central African Republic | 2.52% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 120 | Korea, Rep. | 2.56% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 121 | Lebanon | 2.59% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 122 | Serbia | 2.6% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 123 | Timor-Leste | 2.66% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 124 | Pakistan | 2.67% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 125 | Namibia | 2.73% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 126 | Botswana | 2.83% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 127 | Singapore | 2.84% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 128 | Uzbekistan | 2.87% | 2018 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 129 | Cuba | 2.88% | 2018 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 130 | Bahrain | 2.89% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 131 | Kyrgyz Republic | 2.97% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 132 | Chad | 2.98% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 133 | Lithuania | 3.12% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 134 | Greece | 3.13% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 135 | Latvia | 3.26% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 136 | Colombia | 3.36% | 2024 | Latin America & Caribbean |
| 137 | Estonia | 3.37% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 138 | United States | 3.42% | 2024 | North America |
| 139 | Morocco | 3.52% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 140 | Brunei Darussalam | 3.58% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 141 | Burundi | 3.8% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 142 | Yemen, Rep. | 3.97% | 2014 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 143 | Syrian Arab Republic | 4.06% | 2010 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 144 | Poland | 4.15% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 145 | Mali | 4.2% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 146 | Burkina Faso | 4.68% | 2024 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 147 | Jordan | 4.8% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 148 | Kuwait | 4.84% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 149 | Azerbaijan | 4.99% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 150 | Libya | 5.29% | 2023 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 151 | Armenia | 5.48% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 152 | Oman | 5.59% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 153 | United Arab Emirates | 5.64% | 2014 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 154 | Qatar | 6.5% | 2022 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 155 | Myanmar | 6.79% | 2024 | East Asia & Pacific |
| 156 | Russian Federation | 7.05% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
| 157 | Saudi Arabia | 7.3% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 158 | Algeria | 7.97% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 159 | Israel | 8.78% | 2024 | Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan |
| 160 | Ukraine | 34.5% | 2024 | Europe & Central Asia |
More on military spending
- Countries With the Highest Military Spending
- Military spending by country: trend over time and what it goes with
Related rankings
- Countries With the Lowest Public Social Spending
- Countries With the Lowest Family Benefits Spending
- Countries With the Lowest Old-age Spending
- Countries With the Lowest Aid Given
- Countries With the Lowest Government Spending per Capita
- Countries With the Lowest Corporate Tax Rates
- Countries With the Lowest HDI
- Countries With the Lowest Inequality-adjusted HDI
A ranking describes countries, not the people in them, and a high or low place does not by itself say why. All country rankings.