Military Expenditures (% of GDP) 2008

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

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

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Complete Data Rankings

Rank
1	Antigua and Barbuda	NaN % of GDP
2	Burundi	5.9 % of GDP
3	Angola	5.7 % of GDP
4	Bahrain	4.5 % of GDP
5	Bosnia and Herzegovina	4.5 % of GDP
6	Brunei Darussalam	4.5 % of GDP
7	China	4.3 % of GDP
8	Chad	4.2 % of GDP
9	Cuba	3.8 % of GDP
10	Cyprus	3.8 % of GDP
11	Djibouti	3.8 % of GDP
12	Colombia	3.4 % of GDP
13	Algeria	3.3 % of GDP
14	Botswana	3.3 % of GDP
15	United Arab Emirates	3.1 % of GDP
16	Congo	3.1 % of GDP
17	Solomon Islands	3 % of GDP
18	Cambodia	3 % of GDP
19	Comoros	2.8 % of GDP
20	Chile	2.7 % of GDP
21	Azerbaijan	2.6 % of GDP
22	Brazil	2.6 % of GDP
23	Bulgaria	2.6 % of GDP
24	Sri Lanka	2.6 % of GDP
25	Congo, Democratic Republic of the	2.5 % of GDP
26	Australia	2.4 % of GDP
27	Myanmar	2.1 % of GDP
28	Afghanistan	1.9 % of GDP
29	Bolivia	1.9 % of GDP
30	Benin	1.7 % of GDP
31	Bangladesh	1.5 % of GDP
32	Denmark	1.5 % of GDP
33	Albania	1.49 % of GDP
34	Belize	1.4 % of GDP
35	Belarus	1.4 % of GDP
36	Argentina	1.3 % of GDP
37	Belgium	1.3 % of GDP
38	Cameroon	1.3 % of GDP
39	Canada	1.1 % of GDP
40	Central African Republic	1.1 % of GDP
41	Bhutan	1 % of GDP
42	Austria	0.9 % of GDP
43	Cabo Verde	0.7 % of GDP
44	Barbados	0.5 % of GDP
45	Bahamas	0.5 % of GDP
46	Costa Rica	0.4 % of GDP
47	Bermuda	0.11 % of GDP
48	Dominica	NaN % of GDP
49	Iraq	8.6 % of GDP
50	Jordan	8.6 % of GDP
51	Israel	7.3 % of GDP
52	Eritrea	6.3 % of GDP
53	Kuwait	5.3 % of GDP
54	El Salvador	5 % of GDP
55	Greece	4.3 % of GDP
56	Egypt	3.4 % of GDP
57	Gabon	3.4 % of GDP
58	Ethiopia	3 % of GDP
59	Indonesia	3 % of GDP
60	Ecuador	2.8 % of GDP
61	Kenya	2.8 % of GDP
62	South Korea	2.7 % of GDP
63	France	2.6 % of GDP
64	India	2.5 % of GDP
65	Iran	2.5 % of GDP
66	Croatia	2.39 % of GDP
67	Fiji	2.2 % of GDP
68	Estonia	2 % of GDP
69	Finland	2 % of GDP
70	Guyana	1.8 % of GDP
71	Italy	1.8 % of GDP
72	Hungary	1.75 % of GDP
73	Guinea	1.7 % of GDP
74	Côte d'Ivoire	1.6 % of GDP
75	Germany	1.5 % of GDP
76	Czech Republic	1.46 % of GDP
77	Kyrgyzstan	1.4 % of GDP
78	Ireland	0.9 % of GDP
79	Dominican Republic	0.8 % of GDP
80	Ghana	0.8 % of GDP
81	Japan	0.8 % of GDP
82	Honduras	0.6 % of GDP
83	Georgia	0.59 % of GDP
84	Haiti	0.4 % of GDP
85	Equatorial Guinea	0.1 % of GDP
86	Falkland Islands (Malvinas)	NaN % of GDP
87	Faroe Islands	NaN % of GDP
88	Gambia	0.5 % of GDP
89	Grenada	NaN % of GDP
90	Jamaica	0.6 % of GDP
91	Guatemala	0.4 % of GDP
92	Iceland	0 % of GDP
93	North Korea	NaN % of GDP
94	Kiribati	NaN % of GDP
95	Oman	11.4 % of GDP
96	Qatar	10 % of GDP
97	North Macedonia	6 % of GDP
98	Mauritania	5.5 % of GDP
99	Maldives	5.5 % of GDP
100	Morocco	5 % of GDP
101	Libya	3.9 % of GDP
102	Lebanon	3.1 % of GDP
103	Guinea-Bissau	3.1 % of GDP
104	Pakistan	3 % of GDP
105	Lesotho	2.6 % of GDP
106	Portugal	2.3 % of GDP
107	Malaysia	2.03 % of GDP
108	Mali	1.9 % of GDP
109	Norway	1.9 % of GDP
110	Romania	1.9 % of GDP
111	Slovakia	1.87 % of GDP
112	Poland	1.71 % of GDP
113	Netherlands	1.6 % of GDP
114	Nepal	1.6 % of GDP
115	Nigeria	1.5 % of GDP
116	Peru	1.5 % of GDP
117	Mongolia	1.4 % of GDP
118	Papua New Guinea	1.4 % of GDP
119	Liberia	1.3 % of GDP
120	Malawi	1.3 % of GDP
121	Niger	1.3 % of GDP
122	Latvia	1.2 % of GDP
123	Lithuania	1.2 % of GDP
124	Madagascar	1 % of GDP
125	New Zealand	1 % of GDP
126	Paraguay	1 % of GDP
127	Panama	1 % of GDP
128	Kazakhstan	0.9 % of GDP
129	Luxembourg	0.9 % of GDP
130	Philippines	0.9 % of GDP
131	Mozambique	0.8 % of GDP
132	Malta	0.7 % of GDP
133	Suriname	0.6 % of GDP
134	Nicaragua	0.6 % of GDP
135	Laos	0.5 % of GDP
136	Mexico	0.5 % of GDP
137	Republic of Moldova	0.4 % of GDP
138	Mauritius	0.3 % of GDP
139	New Caledonia	NaN % of GDP
140	Vanuatu	NaN % of GDP
141	Nauru	NaN % of GDP
142	Saudi Arabia	10 % of GDP
143	Yemen	6.6 % of GDP
144	Syrian Arab Republic	5.9 % of GDP
145	Singapore	4.9 % of GDP
146	Eswatini	4.7 % of GDP
147	United States	4.06 % of GDP
148	Russia	3.9 % of GDP
149	Tajikistan	3.9 % of GDP
150	Zimbabwe	3.8 % of GDP
151	Rwanda	2.9 % of GDP
152	Saint Kitts and Nevis	NaN % of GDP
153	Turkey	5.3 % of GDP
154	Namibia	3.7 % of GDP
155	Turkmenistan	3.4 % of GDP
156	Vietnam	2.5 % of GDP
157	United Kingdom	2.4 % of GDP
158	Sierra Leone	2.3 % of GDP
159	Taiwan	2.2 % of GDP
160	Uganda	2.2 % of GDP
161	Seychelles	2 % of GDP
162	Uzbekistan	2 % of GDP
163	Thailand	1.8 % of GDP
164	Zambia	1.8 % of GDP
165	South Africa	1.7 % of GDP
166	Slovenia	1.7 % of GDP
167	Togo	1.6 % of GDP
168	Uruguay	1.6 % of GDP
169	Sweden	1.5 % of GDP
170	Senegal	1.4 % of GDP
171	San Marino	NaN % of GDP
172	Tunisia	1.4 % of GDP
173	Ukraine	1.4 % of GDP
174	Spain	1.2 % of GDP
175	Burkina Faso	1.2 % of GDP
176	Venezuela	1.2 % of GDP
177	Switzerland	1 % of GDP
178	Somalia	0.9 % of GDP
179	Saint Lucia	NaN % of GDP
180	Tonga	0.9 % of GDP
181	Sao Tome and Principe	0.8 % of GDP
182	Trinidad and Tobago	0.3 % of GDP
183	Timor-Leste	NaN % of GDP
184	Tuvalu	NaN % of GDP
185	Tanzania	0.2 % of GDP
186	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	NaN % of GDP
187	Samoa	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 2008, Oman led the world in Military Expenditures (% of GDP) with a rate of 11.4%, as countries globally ranged from 0.00% to 11.40%. The global context reveals an average military expenditure of 2.45% of GDP, with a median of 1.90%.

High Military Expenditures in the Middle East

The Middle East dominated the top ranks of military expenditures in 2008, with countries like Oman (11.4%), Qatar (10%), and Saudi Arabia (10%) leading globally. This pattern can be attributed to several factors. The region's geopolitical tensions often necessitate higher defense spending to ensure national security. Additionally, the wealth generated from oil exports in countries like Saudi Arabia and Qatar allows for significant allocations to military budgets without overly burdening their economies. The strategic importance of maintaining military strength in a historically volatile region further explains these high expenditures.

Minimal Military Spending in Peaceful Regions

On the other end of the spectrum, countries with minimal military threats and stable political environments, such as Iceland (0%), Equatorial Guinea (0.1%), and Bermuda (0.11%), had the lowest military expenditures as a percentage of GDP. Iceland, for example, relies on NATO for defense, allowing it to allocate its resources towards other areas such as social services and infrastructure. Similarly, nations like Costa Rica (0.4%) have historically demilitarized, choosing to invest in education and health instead.

Economic and Policy Drivers of Military Spending

Economic capacity and governmental policy are critical in understanding military expenditures. Countries like Israel (7.3%) have historically high military spending due to ongoing security concerns and mandatory military service policies. In contrast, nations with limited economic resources, such as Burundi (5.9%), may still allocate a significant portion of their GDP to military spending due to internal conflicts or regional instability, despite their smaller economic base.

Year-over-Year Trends and Notable Changes

Analyzing year-over-year changes, most countries maintained stable military expenditure percentages, with the average global change being a slight decrease of -0.01% (-0.3%). Notably, Romania experienced the most significant decrease at -0.57% (-23.1%), possibly reflecting economic restructuring or shifts in defense policy. In contrast, countries like Oman and Qatar showed no change, indicating a continued commitment to their existing defense postures. This stability in high-expenditure countries suggests entrenched security policies and economic capabilities that support sustained military investments.

Overall, the data from 2008 reveals a diverse landscape of military expenditures, deeply influenced by regional security dynamics, economic capacity, and national defense policies. Understanding these expenditures provides valuable insights into global security priorities and economic strategies during that period.

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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