Military Spending as Share of GDP (2024)

SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, April 2025

SIPRI Military Expenditure Database · 2024

Military Spending as Share of GDP

Distribution of countries by defense expenditure as a percentage of GDP. Most nations cluster between 1–3% of GDP. The global average military burden was 2.5% in 2024.

data = [
  {country:"Ukraine",v:34.0},{country:"Israel",v:8.8},{country:"Algeria",v:8.0},
  {country:"Saudi Arabia",v:7.3},{country:"Russia",v:7.1},{country:"Myanmar",v:6.8},
  {country:"Oman",v:5.6},{country:"Armenia",v:5.5},{country:"Azerbaijan",v:5.0},
  {country:"Kuwait",v:4.8},{country:"Jordan",v:4.8},{country:"Burkina Faso",v:4.7},
  {country:"Poland",v:4.2},{country:"Mali",v:4.2},{country:"Burundi",v:3.8},
  {country:"Brunei",v:3.6},{country:"Morocco",v:3.5},{country:"United States",v:3.4},
  {country:"Colombia",v:3.4},{country:"Estonia",v:3.4},{country:"Latvia",v:3.3},
  {country:"Greece",v:3.1},{country:"Lithuania",v:3.1},{country:"Chad",v:3.0},
  {country:"Kyrgyzstan",v:3.0},{country:"Senegal",v:2.9},{country:"Singapore",v:2.8},
  {country:"Pakistan",v:2.7},{country:"South Korea",v:2.6},{country:"Denmark",v:2.4},
  {country:"Iraq",v:2.4},{country:"India",v:2.3},{country:"United Kingdom",v:2.3},
  {country:"Romania",v:2.3},{country:"Finland",v:2.3},{country:"Georgia",v:2.2},
  {country:"Taiwan",v:2.1},{country:"France",v:2.1},{country:"Norway",v:2.1},
  {country:"Portugal",v:2.0},{country:"Iran",v:2.0},{country:"Sweden",v:2.0},
  {country:"Germany",v:1.9},{country:"Australia",v:1.9},{country:"Türkiye",v:1.9},
  {country:"Netherlands",v:1.9},{country:"Czechia",v:1.9},{country:"China",v:1.7},
  {country:"Hungary",v:1.7},{country:"Italy",v:1.6},{country:"Cambodia",v:1.6},
  {country:"Croatia",v:1.5},{country:"Japan",v:1.4},{country:"Spain",v:1.4},
  {country:"Slovakia",v:1.4},{country:"Canada",v:1.3},{country:"Belgium",v:1.3},
  {country:"Philippines",v:1.3},{country:"Bulgaria",v:1.3},{country:"Kenya",v:1.2},
  {country:"Egypt",v:1.2},{country:"Thailand",v:1.2},{country:"New Zealand",v:1.1},
  {country:"South Africa",v:1.0},{country:"Brazil",v:1.0},{country:"Luxembourg",v:1.0},
  {country:"Argentina",v:0.9},{country:"Mexico",v:0.9},{country:"Indonesia",v:0.8},
  {country:"Switzerland",v:0.7},{country:"Ireland",v:0.3},{country:"Iceland",v:0.0}
]

nCountries = data.length
mean = (data.reduce((s, d) => s + d.v, 0) / nCountries).toFixed(1)
sorted = [...data].sort((a, b) => a.v - b.v)
median = sorted[Math.floor(nCountries / 2)].v

// Stats cards — built inside OJS so ${} interpolation works
html`<div class="mil-stats">
  <div class="mil-stat-card">
    <div class="mil-stat-val">${nCountries}</div>
    <div class="mil-stat-label">Countries</div>
  </div>
  <div class="mil-stat-card">
    <div class="mil-stat-val">${mean}%</div>
    <div class="mil-stat-label">Mean</div>
  </div>
  <div class="mil-stat-card">
    <div class="mil-stat-val">${median}%</div>
    <div class="mil-stat-label">Median</div>
  </div>
  <div class="mil-stat-card">
    <div class="mil-stat-val">2.5%</div>
    <div class="mil-stat-label">Global Burden</div>
  </div>
</div>`

import { require } from "d3-require"

bins = [
  {label:"0–0.5",min:0,max:0.5},
  {label:"0.5–1",min:0.5,max:1},
  {label:"1–1.5",min:1,max:1.5},
  {label:"1.5–2",min:1.5,max:2},
  {label:"2–2.5",min:2,max:2.5},
  {label:"2.5–3",min:2.5,max:3},
  {label:"3–4",min:3,max:4},
  {label:"4–5",min:4,max:5},
  {label:"5–7",min:5,max:7},
  {label:"7–9",min:7,max:9},
  {label:"9+",min:9,max:100}
]

histData = bins.map((b, i) => {
  const matches = data.filter(d => d.v >= b.min && d.v < b.max);
  return {
    label: b.label,
    count: matches.length,
    countries: matches.map(d => `${d.country} (${d.v}%)`).join(", "),
    order: i
  };
})

colors = [
  "#1a3a2a","#1e4d35","#236040","#28734b","#2d8656",
  "#339961","#4aad6f","#66c17f","#8dd59a","#b3e4b8","#d4f0d8"
]

Plot.plot({
  width: 760,
  height: 340,
  marginBottom: 50,
  marginLeft: 50,
  marginTop: 16,
  style: {
    background: "transparent",
    color: "#888",
    fontFamily: "'JetBrains Mono', monospace",
    fontSize: "11px"
  },
  x: {
    domain: histData.map(d => d.label),
    label: "Military Expenditure (% of GDP)",
    labelAnchor: "center",
    labelOffset: 40,
    tickSize: 0,
    padding: 0.25
  },
  y: {
    label: "Number of Countries",
    labelOffset: 40,
    grid: true,
    tickSize: 0
  },
  marks: [
    Plot.ruleY([0], {stroke: "#333"}),
    Plot.barY(histData, {
      x: "label",
      y: "count",
      fill: (d) => colors[d.order],
      tip: {
        format: {
          x: false,
          fill: false,
        }
      },
      title: (d) => `${d.label}% of GDP\n${d.count} countries\n\n${d.countries}`,
      rx: 4
    }),
    // NATO 2% reference annotation
    Plot.text(["NATO 2% target →"], {
      x: ["2–2.5"],
      y: [17],
      fill: "#666",
      fontSize: 10,
      textAnchor: "end",
      dx: -8,
      fontFamily: "'Source Serif 4', Georgia, serif",
      fontStyle: "italic"
    })
  ]
})

Highest Burdens

Ukraine 34.0%

Israel 8.8%

Algeria 8.0%

Saudi Arabia 7.3%

Russia 7.1%

Major Powers

United States 3.4%

China 1.7%

India 2.3%

United Kingdom 2.3%

France 2.1%

East Asia & Taiwan Strait

South Korea 2.6%

Taiwan 3.3% planned 20262.1%

China est.1.7%

Japan +21% YoY1.4%

Singapore 2.8%

Philippines 1.3%

Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, April 2025. Data covers 72 countries with available figures for 2024. Includes top 40 spenders plus additional countries from SIPRI and World Bank datasets.