Countries by Military Expenditure as % of GDP 2024

About This Dataset

Countries ranked by defence spending as a percentage of GDP in 2024 according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. Ukraine recorded the world's highest military expenditure as a share of GDP among countries with significant economies in 2024 — a consequence of its ongoing war with Russia requiring sustained defence investment that has absorbed a substantial proportion of national output, supported substantially by Western financial and military aid packages.

✨ AI Insight

Ukraine's military expenditure stands out dramatically at 37.0% of its GDP, a reflection of the dire circumstances stemming from its war with Russia and the necessity for sustained defense investments. In stark contrast, Israel, while also prioritizing defense, allocates 8.8%, followed by Russia at 6.7% and Saudi Arabia at 5.8%. The gap between Ukraine and these nations underscores the unique pressures faced by countries engaged in active conflict. The United States, with a military expenditure of only 3.4%, illustrates a more traditional defense budget approach, focusing on global military presence rather than immediate conflict. This trend suggests a potential shift in defense priorities, particularly for nations directly threatened by military aggression.

Source: Wikipedia

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

🏆

Ukraine leads with 37 in 2024.

📊

Average value in 2024: 9 · median: 5.

↔️

Gap in 2024: Ukraine is 21.8× larger than Japan.