Military Expenditures (% of GDP) 1991

Military Expenditures as a percentage of GDP highlights national defense spending. Compare countries, explore rankings, and view trends.

160 data points•Updated 3/28/2026•Global Coverage•CIA World Factbook•

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1	Afghanistan	NaN % of GDP
2	Albania	1 % of GDP
3	Algeria	NaN % of GDP
4	Angola	NaN % of GDP
5	Antigua and Barbuda	NaN % of GDP
6	Argentina	NaN % of GDP
7	Australia	NaN % of GDP
8	Austria	NaN % of GDP
9	Bahamas	NaN % of GDP
10	Bahrain	NaN % of GDP
11	Bangladesh	NaN % of GDP
12	Barbados	NaN % of GDP
13	Belgium	NaN % of GDP
14	Belize	NaN % of GDP
15	Benin	NaN % of GDP
16	Bhutan	NaN % of GDP
17	Bolivia	NaN % of GDP
18	Botswana	NaN % of GDP
19	Brazil	NaN % of GDP
20	Brunei Darussalam	NaN % of GDP
21	Bulgaria	1.615 % of GDP
22	Burkina Faso	NaN % of GDP
23	Myanmar	NaN % of GDP
24	Burundi	NaN % of GDP
25	Cambodia	NaN % of GDP
26	Cameroon	NaN % of GDP
27	Canada	NaN % of GDP
28	Central African Republic	NaN % of GDP
29	Chad	NaN % of GDP
30	Chile	NaN % of GDP
31	China	NaN % of GDP
32	Colombia	NaN % of GDP
33	Comoros	NaN % of GDP
34	Congo	NaN % of GDP
35	Costa Rica	NaN % of GDP
36	Cuba	NaN % of GDP
37	Cyprus	NaN % of GDP
38	Slovakia	26.9 % of GDP
39	Denmark	NaN % of GDP
40	Djibouti	NaN % of GDP
41	Dominica	NaN % of GDP
42	Dominican Republic	NaN % of GDP
43	Ecuador	NaN % of GDP
44	Egypt	NaN % of GDP
45	El Salvador	NaN % of GDP
46	Equatorial Guinea	NaN % of GDP
47	Ethiopia	NaN % of GDP
48	Fiji	NaN % of GDP
49	Finland	NaN % of GDP
50	France	NaN % of GDP
51	Gabon	NaN % of GDP
52	Gambia	NaN % of GDP
53	Germany	NaN % of GDP
54	Ghana	NaN % of GDP
55	Greece	NaN % of GDP
56	Grenada	NaN % of GDP
57	Guatemala	NaN % of GDP
58	Guinea	NaN % of GDP
59	Guinea-Bissau	NaN % of GDP
60	Guyana	NaN % of GDP
61	Haiti	NaN % of GDP
62	Honduras	NaN % of GDP
63	Hungary	43.7 % of GDP
64	Iceland	NaN % of GDP
65	India	NaN % of GDP
66	Indonesia	NaN % of GDP
67	Iran	NaN % of GDP
68	Iraq	NaN % of GDP
69	Ireland	NaN % of GDP
70	Israel	NaN % of GDP
71	Italy	NaN % of GDP
72	Côte d'Ivoire	NaN % of GDP
73	Jamaica	NaN % of GDP
74	Japan	NaN % of GDP
75	Jordan	NaN % of GDP
76	Kenya	NaN % of GDP
77	Kiribati	NaN % of GDP
78	North Korea	NaN % of GDP
79	South Korea	NaN % of GDP
80	Kuwait	NaN % of GDP
81	Laos	NaN % of GDP
82	Lebanon	NaN % of GDP
83	Lesotho	NaN % of GDP
84	Liberia	NaN % of GDP
85	Libya	NaN % of GDP
86	Luxembourg	NaN % of GDP
87	Madagascar	NaN % of GDP
88	Malawi	NaN % of GDP
89	Malaysia	NaN % of GDP
90	Maldives	NaN % of GDP
91	Mali	NaN % of GDP
92	Malta	NaN % of GDP
93	Mauritania	NaN % of GDP
94	Mauritius	NaN % of GDP
95	Mexico	NaN % of GDP
96	Mongolia	NaN % of GDP
97	Morocco	NaN % of GDP
98	Mozambique	NaN % of GDP
99	Namibia	NaN % of GDP
100	Nauru	NaN % of GDP
101	Nepal	NaN % of GDP
102	Netherlands	NaN % of GDP
103	New Zealand	NaN % of GDP
104	Nicaragua	NaN % of GDP
105	Niger	NaN % of GDP
106	Nigeria	NaN % of GDP
107	Norway	NaN % of GDP
108	Oman	NaN % of GDP
109	Pakistan	NaN % of GDP
110	Panama	NaN % of GDP
111	Papua New Guinea	NaN % of GDP
112	Paraguay	NaN % of GDP
113	Peru	NaN % of GDP
114	Philippines	NaN % of GDP
115	Poland	22.3 % of GDP
116	Portugal	NaN % of GDP
117	Qatar	NaN % of GDP
118	Romania	15 % of GDP
119	Rwanda	NaN % of GDP
120	Saint Kitts and Nevis	NaN % of GDP
121	Saint Lucia	NaN % of GDP
122	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	NaN % of GDP
123	San Marino	NaN % of GDP
124	Sao Tome and Principe	NaN % of GDP
125	Saudi Arabia	NaN % of GDP
126	Senegal	NaN % of GDP
127	Seychelles	NaN % of GDP
128	Sierra Leone	NaN % of GDP
129	Singapore	NaN % of GDP
130	Solomon Islands	NaN % of GDP
131	Somalia	NaN % of GDP
132	South Africa	NaN % of GDP
133	Spain	NaN % of GDP
134	Sri Lanka	NaN % of GDP
135	Suriname	NaN % of GDP
136	Eswatini	NaN % of GDP
137	Sweden	NaN % of GDP
138	Switzerland	NaN % of GDP
139	Syrian Arab Republic	NaN % of GDP
140	Tanzania	NaN % of GDP
141	Thailand	NaN % of GDP
142	Togo	NaN % of GDP
143	Tonga	NaN % of GDP
144	Trinidad and Tobago	NaN % of GDP
145	Tunisia	NaN % of GDP
146	Tuvalu	NaN % of GDP
147	Uganda	NaN % of GDP
148	United Arab Emirates	NaN % of GDP
149	United Kingdom	NaN % of GDP
150	United States	NaN % of GDP
151	Uruguay	NaN % of GDP
152	Vanuatu	NaN % of GDP
153	Venezuela	NaN % of GDP
154	Vietnam	NaN % of GDP
155	Samoa	NaN % of GDP
156	Yemen	NaN % of GDP
157	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	NaN % of GDP
158	Zambia	NaN % of GDP
159	Zimbabwe	NaN % of GDP
160	Taiwan	NaN % of GDP

↑Top 10 Countries

Analysis: These countries represent the highest values in this dataset, showcasing significant scale and impact on global statistics.

↓Bottom 10 Countries

Context: These countries or territories have the lowest values, often due to geographic size, administrative status, or specific characteristics.

Analysis & Context

In 1991, Hungary led the world in Military Expenditures (% of GDP) with a staggering 43.7%, while the global range spanned from 1.00% to 43.70%. The average military expenditure as a percentage of GDP among the countries with available data was 18.42%, providing a clear context for understanding global defense spending trends during this period.

Post-Cold War Adjustments and Economic Pressures

The early 1990s marked a period of significant geopolitical change, particularly in Eastern Europe, where the dissolution of the Soviet Union profoundly affected military spending. Hungary and Slovakia exhibited exceptionally high military expenditures at 43.7% and 26.9% of GDP, respectively. These figures reflect the transitional challenges faced by these nations as they redefined their defense strategies amidst shifting alliances and economic restructuring.

In contrast, Bulgaria and Albania reported much lower expenditures at 1.615% and 1.00%, respectively. This disparity underscores the varied economic capabilities and strategic priorities among Eastern European countries during this tumultuous time. Economic pressures and the urgent need for economic reform likely limited their ability to allocate a larger share of GDP to military spending.

Economic Transition and Military Spending

The transition from centrally planned economies to market-oriented systems profoundly influenced military expenditures in Eastern Europe. Countries like Poland and Romania, with military expenditures of 22.3% and 15% of GDP, respectively, had to balance defense needs with economic reforms. The need to integrate into Western economic systems and institutions such as the European Union and NATO likely pressured these nations to reallocate resources towards economic development.

Furthermore, the median expenditure of 22.3% suggests that a significant portion of GDP was still devoted to military needs, possibly due to lingering security concerns and the need to maintain robust defense capabilities amidst regional instability.

Year-over-Year Changes in Military Expenditures

The year-over-year changes in military expenditures reveal significant shifts, particularly in Poland, which experienced a dramatic decrease of -931.70%, a -97.7% reduction. This substantial drop reflects Poland's strategic pivot towards economic reform and integration into Western economic and security structures. Conversely, Romania saw the largest increase at +3.20%, a 27.1% rise, indicating an increased emphasis on military spending despite broader economic challenges.

Other countries like Slovakia and Albania also experienced modest decreases of -1.50% and -0.10% respectively, highlighting a general trend of reduced military spending as these nations navigated economic transitions. Interestingly, Hungary maintained its military expenditure level, reflecting either a strategic choice to sustain its defense posture or constraints in reallocating resources.

Implications for Future Military Spending

The military expenditure patterns of 1991 offer insights into the broader economic and geopolitical shifts of the era. The high levels of spending in countries like Hungary and Slovakia underscore the strategic uncertainties faced by nations transitioning from Soviet influence. As these countries continued to integrate into Western political and economic systems, the pressure to reform and reallocate spending likely persisted into the following decades.

In summary, the military expenditures of 1991 reflect a complex interplay of economic pressures, strategic realignments, and geopolitical transformations. These trends provide a crucial context for understanding the evolving defense priorities and economic policies in the post-Cold War era.

Data Source

CIA World Factbook

The World Factbook, also known as the CIA World Factbook, was a reference resource produced by the US Central Intelligence Agency between 1962 and 2026 with almanac-style information about the countries of the world. From 1971 it was not classified, and available to the public in print since 1975, initially by the CIA, and later the Government Publishing Office.

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Historical Data by Year

Explore Military Expenditures (% of GDP) data across different years. Compare trends and see how statistics have changed over time.

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