Defense expenditure (current LCU) by country
Defense expenditures for NATO countries are based on the NATO definition, which covers military-related expenditures of the defense ministry (including recruiting, training, construction, and the purchase of military supplies and equipment) and other ministries. Civilian-type expenditures of the defense ministry...
What the numbers show
Defense expenditure (current LCU) is currently reported for 29 countries. The highest value is 3.69 trillion current LCU in Mozambique; the lowest is 0 current LCU in Congo.
The median across all reporting countries is 4.00 billion current LCU, and the mean is 179.77 billion current LCU.
Over the past decade 16 countries rose and 6 fell. The largest increase was in Tanzania (up 249,780,000.0%), and the largest decrease in Cameroon (down 100.0%).
Defense expenditure: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mozambique | 3.69 trillion current LCU | 2006 | up 424.1% | volatile |
| 2 | Uganda | 489.22 billion current LCU | 2011 | up 134.8% | rising |
| 3 | Madagascar | 312.90 billion current LCU | 2004 | — | volatile |
| 4 | Cote d'Ivoire | 198.80 billion current LCU | 2011 | up 58.4% | rising |
| 5 | Guinea | 170.00 billion current LCU | 2003 | — | rising |
| 6 | Zambia | 94.57 billion current LCU | 1999 | up 2,132.0% | volatile |
| 7 | Tanzania | 85.00 billion current LCU | 1999 | up 249,780,000.0% | volatile |
| 8 | Gabon | 58.00 billion current LCU | 2006 | up 10.7% | rising |
| 9 | Kenya | 27.53 billion current LCU | 2010 | up 119.1% | volatile |
| 10 | Mauritania | 22.03 billion current LCU | 2006 | up 323.8% | volatile |
| 11 | Mali | 21.15 billion current LCU | 1994 | up 97.0% | rising |
| 12 | Angola | 19.00 billion current LCU | 2011 | up 26.6% | volatile |
| 13 | Central African Republic | 7.35 billion current LCU | 2007 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 14 | Guinea-Bissau | 6.31 billion current LCU | 2008 | up 720.2% | volatile |
| 15 | Ethiopia | 4.00 billion current LCU | 2011 | up 9.8% | volatile |
| 16 | Burundi | 3.40 billion current LCU | 2000 | down 2.8% | rising |
| 17 | Comoros | 1.55 billion current LCU | 2003 | down 3.1% | flat |
| 18 | Lesotho | 1.25 billion current LCU | 2011 | up 160.0% | volatile |
| 19 | Sudan | 932.00 million current LCU | 2002 | — | rising |
| 20 | Eswatini | 391.70 million current LCU | 2006 | — | volatile |
| 21 | Ghana | 288.93 million current LCU | 2010 | up 395.7% | volatile |
| 22 | Gambia | 40.80 million current LCU | 1998 | up 30.8% | rising |
| 23 | Cape Verde | 663 current LCU | 2008 | down 18.6% | flat |
| 24 | Cameroon | 210.64 current LCU | 2011 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 25 | Egypt | 0 current LCU | 2011 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 25 | Mauritius | 0 current LCU | 2008 | down 100.0% | rising |
| 25 | Senegal | 0 current LCU | 2011 | — | volatile |
| 25 | Chad | 0 current LCU | 2004 | — | flat |
| 25 | Congo | 0 current LCU | 1993 | — | flat |
About this data
Defense expenditures for NATO countries are based on the NATO definition, which covers military-related expenditures of the defense ministry (including recruiting, training, construction, and the purchase of military supplies and equipment) and other ministries. Civilian-type expenditures of the defense ministry are excluded. Military assistance is included in the expenditures of the donor country, and purchases of military equipment on credit are included at the time the debt is incurred, not at the time of payment. Data for other countries generally cover expenditures of the ministry of defense (excluded are expenditures on public order and safety, which are classified separately). Data are in current local currency.