Military Expenditures (% of GDP) 1994

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

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

View data for:

Interactive Map

Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1	Afghanistan	NaN % of GDP
2	Albania	215 % 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	Azerbaijan	2,848 % of GDP
10	Bahamas	NaN % of GDP
11	Bahrain	NaN % of GDP
12	Bangladesh	NaN % of GDP
13	Barbados	NaN % of GDP
14	Belarus	56.5 % of GDP
15	Belgium	NaN % of GDP
16	Belize	NaN % of GDP
17	Benin	NaN % of GDP
18	Bhutan	NaN % of GDP
19	Bolivia	NaN % of GDP
20	Bosnia and Herzegovina	NaN % of GDP
21	Botswana	NaN % of GDP
22	Brazil	NaN % of GDP
23	Brunei Darussalam	NaN % of GDP
24	Bulgaria	5.77 % of GDP
25	Burkina Faso	NaN % of GDP
26	Myanmar	NaN % of GDP
27	Burundi	NaN % of GDP
28	Cambodia	NaN % of GDP
29	Cameroon	NaN % of GDP
30	Canada	NaN % of GDP
31	Central African Republic	NaN % of GDP
32	Chad	NaN % of GDP
33	Chile	NaN % of GDP
34	China	NaN % of GDP
35	Colombia	NaN % of GDP
36	Comoros	NaN % of GDP
37	Congo	NaN % of GDP
38	Costa Rica	NaN % of GDP
39	Côte d'Ivoire	NaN % of GDP
40	Croatia	337 % of GDP
41	Cuba	NaN % of GDP
42	Cyprus	NaN % of GDP
43	Czech Republic	23 % of GDP
44	Denmark	NaN % of GDP
45	Djibouti	NaN % of GDP
46	Dominica	NaN % of GDP
47	Dominican Republic	NaN % of GDP
48	Ecuador	NaN % of GDP
49	Egypt	NaN % of GDP
50	El Salvador	NaN % of GDP
51	Equatorial Guinea	NaN % of GDP
52	Eritrea	NaN % of GDP
53	Estonia	124.4 % of GDP
54	Ethiopia	NaN % of GDP
55	Fiji	NaN % of GDP
56	Finland	NaN % of GDP
57	France	NaN % of GDP
58	French Guiana	NaN % of GDP
59	Gabon	NaN % of GDP
60	Gambia	NaN % of GDP
61	Georgia	NaN % of GDP
62	Germany	NaN % of GDP
63	Ghana	NaN % of GDP
64	Greece	NaN % of GDP
65	Grenada	NaN % of GDP
66	Guatemala	NaN % of GDP
67	Guinea	NaN % of GDP
68	Guinea-Bissau	NaN % of GDP
69	Guyana	NaN % of GDP
70	Haiti	NaN % of GDP
71	Honduras	NaN % of GDP
72	Hungary	66.5 % of GDP
73	Iceland	NaN % of GDP
74	India	NaN % of GDP
75	Indonesia	NaN % of GDP
76	Iran	NaN % of GDP
77	Iraq	NaN % of GDP
78	Ireland	NaN % of GDP
79	Israel	NaN % of GDP
80	Italy	NaN % of GDP
81	Jamaica	NaN % of GDP
82	Japan	NaN % of GDP
83	Jordan	NaN % of GDP
84	Kazakhstan	69,326 % of GDP
85	Kenya	NaN % of GDP
86	Kiribati	NaN % of GDP
87	North Korea	NaN % of GDP
88	South Korea	NaN % of GDP
89	Kuwait	NaN % of GDP
90	Kyrgyzstan	NaN % of GDP
91	Laos	NaN % of GDP
92	Latvia	176 % of GDP
93	Lebanon	NaN % of GDP
94	Lesotho	NaN % of GDP
95	Liberia	NaN % of GDP
96	Libya	NaN % of GDP
97	Lithuania	NaN % of GDP
98	Luxembourg	NaN % of GDP
99	Madagascar	NaN % of GDP
100	Malawi	NaN % of GDP
101	Malaysia	NaN % of GDP
102	Maldives	NaN % of GDP
103	Mali	NaN % of GDP
104	Malta	NaN % of GDP
105	Mauritania	NaN % of GDP
106	Mauritius	NaN % of GDP
107	Mexico	NaN % of GDP
108	Republic of Moldova	NaN % of GDP
109	Mongolia	NaN % of GDP
110	Morocco	NaN % of GDP
111	Mozambique	NaN % of GDP
112	Namibia	NaN % of GDP
113	Nauru	NaN % of GDP
114	Nepal	NaN % of GDP
115	Netherlands	NaN % of GDP
116	New Zealand	NaN % of GDP
117	Nicaragua	NaN % of GDP
118	Niger	NaN % of GDP
119	Nigeria	NaN % of GDP
120	Norway	NaN % of GDP
121	Oman	NaN % of GDP
122	Pakistan	NaN % of GDP
123	Panama	NaN % of GDP
124	Papua New Guinea	NaN % of GDP
125	Paraguay	NaN % of GDP
126	Peru	NaN % of GDP
127	Philippines	NaN % of GDP
128	Poland	30.8 % of GDP
129	Portugal	NaN % of GDP
130	Qatar	NaN % of GDP
131	Romania	137 % of GDP
132	Russia	NaN % of GDP
133	Rwanda	NaN % of GDP
134	Saint Kitts and Nevis	NaN % of GDP
135	Saint Lucia	NaN % of GDP
136	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	NaN % of GDP
137	San Marino	NaN % of GDP
138	Sao Tome and Principe	NaN % of GDP
139	Saudi Arabia	NaN % of GDP
140	Senegal	NaN % of GDP
141	Seychelles	NaN % of GDP
142	Sierra Leone	NaN % of GDP
143	Singapore	NaN % of GDP
144	Slovenia	13.5 % of GDP
145	Slovakia	8.2 % of GDP
146	Solomon Islands	NaN % of GDP
147	Somalia	NaN % of GDP
148	South Africa	NaN % of GDP
149	Spain	NaN % of GDP
150	Sri Lanka	NaN % of GDP
151	Suriname	NaN % of GDP
152	Eswatini	NaN % of GDP
153	Sweden	NaN % of GDP
154	Switzerland	NaN % of GDP
155	Syrian Arab Republic	NaN % of GDP
156	Taiwan	NaN % of GDP
157	Tajikistan	NaN % of GDP
158	Tanzania	NaN % of GDP
159	Thailand	NaN % of GDP
160	North Macedonia	7 % of GDP
161	Togo	NaN % of GDP
162	Tonga	NaN % of GDP
163	Trinidad and Tobago	NaN % of GDP
164	Tunisia	NaN % of GDP
165	Turkmenistan	NaN % of GDP
166	Tuvalu	NaN % of GDP
167	Uganda	NaN % of GDP
168	Ukraine	544,256 % of GDP
169	United Arab Emirates	NaN % of GDP
170	United Kingdom	NaN % of GDP
171	United States	NaN % of GDP
172	Uruguay	NaN % of GDP
173	Uzbekistan	NaN % of GDP
174	Vanuatu	NaN % of GDP
175	Venezuela	NaN % of GDP
176	Vietnam	NaN % of GDP
177	Samoa	NaN % of GDP
178	Yemen	NaN % of GDP
179	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	NaN % of GDP
180	Zambia	NaN % of GDP
181	Zimbabwe	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 1994, Ukraine led the world in Military Expenditures (% of GDP) with an astonishing value of 544256, highlighting an extraordinary financial commitment to defense. The global range for this metric spanned from a minimum of 5.77 to the maximum value seen in Ukraine, showcasing diverse defense spending strategies among countries. The average expenditure across the 16 countries with available data was 38601.92, while the median value stood at 124.40, providing a clearer picture of typical spending levels.

Post-Soviet Transitions and Military Spending

The dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991 left many former Soviet republics navigating new geopolitical landscapes, influencing their military expenditures. Ukraine, with its staggering 544256 percentage of GDP allocated to military spending, likely reflects the transitional economic measurements rather than actual spending. Similarly, Kazakhstan reported a value of 69326, and Azerbaijan stood at 2848. These figures suggest that the reallocation of Soviet military assets and the nascent stages of independent defense strategies contributed to these high percentages, rather than actual economic outputs being devoted to military purposes.

Defense Priorities in the Balkans

In the Balkans, countries like Croatia and Albania had military expenditures of 337 and 215 percent of GDP, respectively. These numbers are reflective of the regional instability and conflicts in the early 1990s, such as the Croatian War of Independence, which necessitated substantial military investments. The prioritization of defense spending in these regions underscores the geopolitical pressures and security challenges that influenced national budgets during this period.

Economic Stability and Lower Military Spending

In contrast, several countries in Central and Eastern Europe exhibited lower percentages of GDP devoted to military expenditures. Bulgaria had the lowest at 5.77, followed by North Macedonia at 7 and Slovakia at 8.2. These countries, while also dealing with the aftermath of the Cold War, managed to maintain more balanced economic strategies, possibly due to relative political stability and successful transitions to market economies, allowing for more diversified government spending priorities.

Static Trends Amidst Global Change

The year-over-year data for 1994 shows no significant changes in military expenditures relative to GDP, with all countries reporting a 0.00 percent change. This static trend amid global political transformations suggests that countries were either unable or unwilling to adjust their defense spending rapidly in response to the shifting international environment. The lack of change in countries like Ukraine and Kazakhstan further emphasizes the complexities of economic and military reform during periods of significant geopolitical upheaval.

Overall, the Military Expenditures (% of GDP) data from 1994 provides a fascinating snapshot of a world in transition, with countries grappling with new national identities and security concerns. The figures reveal not only the immediate impact of post-Cold War realities but also the varied approaches to defense spending during a time of significant global change.

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.

Visit Data Source

Historical Data by Year

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

2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 1997 1996 1995 1994 1993 1992 1991 1990

More Economy Facts

Agriculture Value Added as a Share of GDP by Country

Explore the agriculture value added as a share of GDP by country, measuring the economic impact of farming sectors. This statistic highlights the importance of agriculture in national economies and informs investment decisions.

View data

Browse All Economy

Explore more facts and statistics in this category

All Categories

Discover more categories with comprehensive global data