The Military Balance

ISSN: 0459-7222 (Print) 1479-9022 (Online) Journal homepage: https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tmib20

International comparisons of defence expenditure

and military personnel

To cite this article: (2019) International comparisons of defence expenditure and military
personnel, The Military Balance, 119:1, 513-518, DOI: 10.1080/04597222.2019.1561038

To link to this article: https://doi.org/10.1080/04597222.2019.1561038

Published online: 15 Feb 2019.

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 Defence Spending Defence Spending Defence Spending Active Armed Estimated Active
current US$ m per capita (current US$) % of GDP Forces (000) Reservists (000) Paramilitary (000)
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2019 2019 2019
North America
Canada 15,738 18,563 18,235 445 521 508 1.02 1.12 1.05 67 27 5
United States 593,371 598,722 643,266 1,831 1,833 1,954 3.17 3.07 3.14 1,359 846 0
Total 609,109 617,285 661,501 1,695 1,704 1,812 3.01 2.92 2.97 1,426 873 5
Europe
Albania 114 110 131 39 37 43 0.99 0.86 0.87 8 0 1
Austria 2,888 3,158 3,384 331 361 385 0.74 0.76 0.74 21 158 0
Belgium 3,861 4,513 4,984 338 393 431 0.83 0.91 0.93 27 0 5
Bosnia-Herzegovina 165 165 172 43 43 45 0.97 0.00 0.86 11 0 0
Bulgaria 671 677 724 94 95 103 1.26 1.19 1.14 31 3 0
Croatia 591 658 758 137 153 178 1.14 1.20 1.26 15 18 3
Cyprus 335 397 417 278 325 337 1.66 1.83 1.74 15 50 1
Czech Republic 1,955 2,247 2,748 183 211 257 1.00 1.04 1.12 23 0 0
Denmark 3,514 3,780 4,246 628 674 731 1.15 1.16 1.20 15 46 0
Estonia 499 544 641 396 434 515 2.14 2.09 2.17 6 28 0
Finland 3,100 3,195 3,406 564 579 615 1.30 1.26 1.23 22 216 3
France 46,784 48,699 53,365 700 726 792 1.90 1.88 1.91 204 36 103
Germany 37,943 41,784 45,686 470 518 568 1.09 1.13 1.13 180 28 0
Greece 4,598 4,731 4,896 427 439 455 2.39 2.36 2.25 142 221 4
Hungary 1,061 1,290 1,637 107 131 167 0.84 0.93 1.05 28 20 12
Iceland 46 55 41 136 162 119 0.22 0.22 0.15 0 0 0
Ireland 994 1,040 1,122 201 208 221 0.33 0.31 0.31 9 4 0
Table 23 International comparisons of defence expenditure and military personnel

Italy 22,112 22,887 24,870 357 368 400 1.19 1.18 1.19 171 18 176
Latvia 407 531 684 207 273 355 1.48 1.75 1.99 6 16 0
Lithuania 637 817 1,057 223 289 378 1.49 1.73 2.02 20 7 14
Luxembourg 205 280 404 352 471 668 0.35 0.45 0.59 1 0 1
Macedonia (FYROM) 106 114 125 50 54 59 0.99 1.01 1.01 8 5 8
Malta 58 64 70 139 155 156 0.51 0.51 0.49 2 0 0
Montenegro 68 75 79 106 117 129 1.56 1.57 1.47 2 0 10
Netherlands 9,121 10,113 11,297 536 592 659 1.16 1.22 1.24 35 5 6
Norway 6,000 6,196 6,798 1,140 1,165 1,265 1.62 1.55 1.54 23 40 0
Poland 9,101 9,981 10,812 236 259 281 1.93 1.90 1.97 118 0 73
Reference 513

Reference
 Defence Spending Defence Spending Defence Spending Active Armed Estimated Active
current US$ m per capita (current US$) % of GDP Forces (000) Reservists (000) Paramilitary (000)
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2019 2019 2019
Portugal 2,443 2,527 2,582 225 233 249 1.19 1.16 1.09 27 212 25
Romania 2,763 3,643 4,631 128 169 216 1.46 1.72 1.93 69 50 57
Serbia 501 546 707 70 77 100 1.31 1.32 1.48 28 50 4
Slovakia 974 1,118 1,283 179 205 236 1.09 1.16 1.20 16 0 0
Slovenia 446 474 532 225 240 253 1.00 0.97 0.97 7 2 0
Spain 9,975 13,353 15,117 205 273 306 0.81 1.02 1.05 120 15 76
Sweden 5,738 5,935 6,224 581 596 620 1.12 1.11 1.12 30 0 0
514 THE MILITARY BALANCE 2019

Switzerland 4,653 4,786 4,972 569 581 600 0.69 0.70 0.70 21 135 0
Turkey 8,664 7,885 7,897 108 98 97 1.00 0.93 1.11 355 379 157
United Kingdom 52,965 52,350 56,105 822 808 862 1.98 1.99 2.00 148 80 0
Total 246,056 260,718 284,605 393 415 452 1.33 1.35 1.37 1,966 1,841 738
Russia and Eurasia
Armenia 431 435 506 141 143 166 4.09 3.77 4.04 45 210 4
Azerbaijan 1,395 1,554 1,611 141 156 160 3.69 3.82 3.53 67 300 15
Belarus 506 531 604 53 56 63 1.06 0.98 1.06 45 290 110
Georgia 319 307 322 65 62 65 2.22 2.02 1.93 21 0 5
Kazakhstan 1,134 1,265 1,590 62 68 85 0.83 0.79 0.86 39 0 32
Kyrgyzstan n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 11 0 10
Moldova 27 31 37 8 9 11 0.34 0.32 0.32 5 58 2
Russia [a] 44,470 45,695 45,349 312 321 319 3.46 2.90 2.88 900 2,000 554
Tajikistan 194 194 217 23 23 25 2.79 2.72 2.95 9 0 8
Turkmenistan n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 37 0 5
Table 23 International comparisons of defence expenditure and military personnel

Ukraine 2,555 2,798 3,272 58 64 74 2.74 2.50 2.59 209 900 88

Uzbekistan n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 48 0 20
Total** 51,033 52,811 53,509 179 185 187 2.91 2.54 2.51 1,435 3,758 853
Asia
Afghanistan 2,593 2,169 2,064 78 64 59 13.35 10.72 10.13 174 0 149
Australia 23,617 24,446 26,555 1,027 1,052 1,131 1.87 1.77 1.86 58 21 0
Bangladesh 2,629 2,930 3,159 17 19 20 1.12 1.12 1.10 157 0 64
Brunei 409 327 367 936 738 815 3.59 2.70 2.50 7 1 1
Cambodia 656 788 951 41 49 58 3.27 3.57 3.94 124 0 67
China 143,668 151,455 168,202 104 109 121 1.28 1.26 1.25 2,035 510 660
Fiji 52 51 50 56 55 54 1.13 1.04 0.95 4 6 0
 Defence Spending Defence Spending Defence Spending Active Armed Estimated Active
current US$ m per capita (current US$) % of GDP Forces (000) Reservists (000) Paramilitary (000)
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2019 2019 2019
India 51,438 58,026 57,874 41 45 45 2.26 2.23 2.15 1,445 1,155 1,586
Indonesia 7,380 8,596 7,318 29 33 28 0.79 0.85 0.73 396 400 280
Japan 46,456 45,692 47,256 367 361 375 0.94 0.94 0.93 247 56 14
Korea, DPR of n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 1,280 600 189
Korea, Republic of 33,648 35,876 39,211 661 701 763 2.38 2.33 2.37 625 3,100 9
Laos n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 29 0 100
Malaysia 4,187 3,476 3,869 135 111 122 1.41 1.11 1.11 113 52 23
Mongolia 101 85 105 33 28 34 0.90 0.76 0.82 10 137 8
Myanmar 2,282 2,149 1,951 40 39 35 3.61 3.19 2.73 406 0 107
Nepal 314 336 431 11 11 14 1.48 1.35 1.49 97 0 15
New Zealand 2,163 2,353 2,365 483 522 520 1.17 1.17 1.15 9 2 0
Pakistan 9,188 9,746 11,204 45 48 54 3.30 3.20 3.65 654 0 282
Papua New Guinea 82 71 63 12 10 9 0.43 0.36 0.30 4 0 0
Philippines 2,475 2,727 2,792 24 26 26 0.81 0.87 0.84 142 131 11
Singapore 10,017 10,288 11,000 1,733 1,747 1,835 3.23 3.18 3.17 73 313 8
Sri Lanka 2,005 1,863 1,739 90 83 77 2.46 2.13 1.88 255 6 62
Taiwan 9,902 10,488 11,041 422 446 469 1.87 1.83 1.83 163 1,657 11
Thailand 5,820 6,294 6,508 85 92 95 1.41 1.38 1.33 361 200 94
Timor-Leste 26 25 26 21 20 20 1.04 0.92 0.84 2 0 0
Vietnam 4,073 4,372 4,829 43 45 50 2.02 1.98 2.00 482 5,000 40
Total** 365,180 384,630 410,929 91 95 101 1.46 1.44 1.43 9,350 13,346 3,779
Middle East and North Africa
Table 23 International comparisons of defence expenditure and military personnel

Algeria 10,218 10,077 9,928 254 246 238 6.38 6.01 5.27 130 150 187
Bahrain 1,523 1,480 1,480 1,105 1,049 1,026 4.73 4.19 3.77 8 0 11
Egypt 5,300 3,212 2,900 56 33 29 1.59 1.36 1.16 439 479 397
Iran 17,456 20,957 19,591 211 256 236 4.32 4.87 4.56 523 350 40
Iraq 16,976 19,271 17,259 445 492 429 9.95 10.02 7.47 64 0 145
Israel 19,868 18,892 18,536 2,430 2,276 2,200 6.25 5.39 5.07 170 465 8
Jordan 1,474 1,635 1,635 180 160 156 3.81 4.07 3.90 101 65 15
Kuwait 5,743 5,791 6,179 2,027 2,014 2,119 5.18 4.80 4.28 18 24 7
Lebanon 1,740 1,866 2,122 279 300 348 3.38 3.44 3.74 60 0 20
Libya n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k.
Reference 515

Reference
 Defence Spending Defence Spending Defence Spending Active Armed Estimated Active
current US$ m per capita (current US$) % of GDP Forces (000) Reservists (000) Paramilitary (000)
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2019 2019 2019
Mauritania 138 145 158 37 39 41 2.94 2.93 3.04 16 0 5
Morocco 3,327 3,491 3,633 99 103 106 3.22 3.19 3.07 196 150 50
Oman 9,102 8,687 8,947 2,713 2,537 2,561 13.80 12.27 10.95 43 0 4
Palestinian Territories n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 0 0 n.k.
Qatar n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 17 0 5
Saudi Arabia 81,526 89,067 82,933 2,895 3,117 2,506 12.64 12.97 10.77 227 0 25
Syria n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 139 0 100
516 THE MILITARY BALANCE 2019

Tunisia 975 833 915 88 73 79 2.33 2.09 2.20 36 0 12

United Arab Emirates n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 63 0 0
Yemen n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 40 0 0
Total** 175,367 185,404 176,217 411 431 394 5.76 5.88 5.10 2,287 1,683 1,031
Latin America and the Caribbean
Antigua and Barbuda 7 6 7 73 66 74 0.47 0.41 0.44 0 0 0
Argentina 5,205 6,172 4,234 119 139 95 0.94 0.97 0.89 74 0 31
Bahamas 121 99 91 369 299 272 1.02 0.81 0.70 1 0 0
Barbados 38 39 39 132 132 134 0.79 0.77 0.76 1 0 0
Belize 22 24 23 63 66 59 1.23 1.28 1.19 2 1 0
Bolivia 443 543 503 40 49 44 1.29 1.44 1.20 34 0 37
Brazil 23,516 29,245 27,952 114 141 134 1.31 1.42 1.46 335 1,340 395
Chile 3,444 4,006 4,249 195 225 237 1.38 1.45 1.42 77 40 45
Colombia 9,201 10,150 10,642 195 213 221 3.25 3.23 3.16 293 35 188
Costa Rica 409 390 454 84 79 91 0.71 0.67 0.75 0 0 10
Table 23 International comparisons of defence expenditure and military personnel

Cuba n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 49 39 27
Dominican Republic 458 496 603 43 46 59 0.63 0.65 0.74 56 0 15
Ecuador 1,565 1,565 1,698 97 96 103 1.57 1.50 1.58 40 118 1
El Salvador 146 146 141 24 24 23 0.61 0.59 0.55 25 10 17
Guatemala 289 260 256 19 17 15 0.42 0.34 0.32 18 64 25
Guyana 51 57 56 69 77 76 1.46 1.60 1.55 3 1 0
Haiti 7 7 8 1 1 1 0.09 0.08 0.08 0 0 0
Honduras 297 267 329 33 30 36 1.37 1.16 1.38 15 60 8
Jamaica 139 142 228 47 47 81 0.99 0.96 1.48 4 1 0
Mexico 4,917 4,568 5,227 40 37 41 0.46 0.40 0.44 277 82 59
Nicaragua 73 84 82 12 14 13 0.55 0.60 0.61 12 0 0
 Defence Spending Defence Spending Defence Spending Active Armed Estimated Active
current US$ m per capita (current US$) % of GDP Forces (000) Reservists (000) Paramilitary (000)
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2019 2019 2019
Panama 751 746 738 203 199 194 1.30 1.21 1.12 0 0 26
Paraguay 267 273 313 39 39 45 0.74 0.70 0.75 12 165 15
Peru 2,225 2,166 2,301 72 70 73 1.14 1.01 1.00 81 188 77
Suriname n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 2 0 0
Trinidad and Tobago 1,622 1,125 920 1,329 923 757 7.16 4.94 3.95 4 0 0
Uruguay 489 515 486 146 153 144 0.93 0.87 0.80 21 0 1
Venezuela 1,273 741 n.k. 41 24 n.k. 0.54 0.35 n.k. 123 8 220
Total** 56,975 63,831 61,582 92 102 97 1.14 1.16 1.18 1,559 2,151 1,195
Sub-Saharan Africa
Angola 2,968 3,233 2,215 147 110 73 3.11 2.60 1.85 107 0 10
Benin 98 117 91 9 11 8 1.14 1.27 0.82 7 0 5
Botswana 561 512 572 254 231 254 3.58 2.98 3.07 9 0 0
Burkina Faso 150 192 315 8 10 16 1.32 1.53 2.16 11 0 0
Burundi 66 64 65 6 6 5 2.12 1.87 1.70 30 0 1
Cameroon 388 411 432 16 16 17 1.20 1.21 1.11 15 0 9
Cape Verde 11 10 11 19 17 20 0.64 0.56 0.56 1 0 0
Central African Rep 27 31 33 5 5 6 1.53 1.58 1.50 7 0 1
Chad 159 176 185 13 15 12 1.58 1.78 1.61 30 0 5
Congo 562 490 295 116 99 58 7.22 5.75 2.82 10 0 2
Côte d'Ivoire 755 829 935 32 34 36 2.08 2.05 1.94 27 0 n.k.
Dem Republic of the Congo 442 301 289 5 4 3 1.12 0.73 0.68 134 0 0
Djibouti n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 10 0 3
Table 23 International comparisons of defence expenditure and military personnel

Equatorial Guinea n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 1 0 0
Eritrea n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 202 120 0
Ethiopia 451 492 469 4 5 4 0.62 0.61 0.55 138 0 0
Gabon 203 267 263 117 150 124 1.45 1.75 1.51 5 0 2
Gambia n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 1 0 0
Ghana 195 189 211 7 7 8 0.45 0.40 0.41 16 0 0
Guinea 162 200 165 13 16 14 1.91 2.06 1.52 10 0 3
Guinea-Bissau n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 4 0 0
Kenya 1,222 1,199 1,275 26 25 26 1.73 1.51 1.44 24 0 5
Lesotho 44 56 51 23 28 26 1.82 2.01 1.75 2 0 0
Reference 517

Reference
 Defence Spending Defence Spending Defence Spending Active Armed Estimated Active
current US$ m per capita (current US$) % of GDP Forces (000) Reservists (000) Paramilitary (000)
2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2016 2017 2018 2019 2019 2019
Liberia 13 14 16 3 3 3 0.39 0.44 0.48 2 0 0
Madagascar 59 67 75 2 3 3 0.59 0.58 0.59 14 0 8
Malawi 29 38 21 2 2 1 0.53 0.61 0.31 11 0 4
Mali 546 655 731 31 37 40 3.89 4.28 4.08 10 0 8
Mauritius 215 234 221 160 172 162 1.77 1.88 1.66 0 0 3
Mozambique 102 93 131 4 4 5 0.91 0.74 0.91 11 0 0
Namibia 404 481 457 166 194 180 3.69 3.79 3.44 10 0 6
518 THE MILITARY BALANCE 2019

Niger 166 172 231 9 9 12 2.21 2.09 2.34 5 0 5

Nigeria 1,751 1,525 1,746 9 8 9 0.43 0.41 0.43 135 0 80
Rwanda 95 109 107 7 9 9 1.12 1.19 1.07 33 0 2
Senegal 254 309 348 18 21 23 1.73 1.88 1.77 14 0 5
Seychelles n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 0 0 0
Sierra Leone 13 12 13 2 2 2 0.35 0.32 0.35 9 0 0
Somalia n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 20 0 0
South Africa 3,211 3,651 3,678 59 67 66 1.09 1.05 0.99 65 0 15
South Sudan 98 97 82 8 7 8 3.19 3.39 2.56 185 0 0
Sudan n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. n.k. 104 0 20
Tanzania 525 532 757 10 10 14 1.10 1.03 1.34 27 80 1
Togo 82 89 105 11 11 13 1.84 1.87 1.88 9 0 1
Uganda 463 434 384 12 11 9 1.83 1.65 1.39 45 10 1
Zambia 305 337 320 20 21 19 1.46 1.32 1.22 15 3 1
Zimbabwe 394 341 420 27 25 30 2.44 1.95 2.17 29 0 22
Table 23 International comparisons of defence expenditure and military personnel

Total** 17,190 17,955 17,714 17 18 17 1.16 1.13 1.04 1,555 213 228
Summary
North America 609,109 617,285 661,501 1,695 1,704 1,812 3.01 2.92 2.97 1,426 873 5
Europe 246,056 260,718 284,605 393 415 452 1.33 1.35 1.37 1,966 1,841 738
Russia and Eurasia 51,033 52,811 53,509 179 185 187 2.91 2.54 2.51 1,435 3,758 853
Asia 365,180 384,630 410,929 91 95 101 1.46 1.44 1.43 9,350 13,346 3,779
Middle East and North Africa 175,367 185,404 176,217 411 431 394 5.76 5.88 5.10 2,287 1,683 1,031
Latin America and the
56,975 63,831 61,582 92 102 97 1.14 1.16 1.18 1,559 2,151 1,195
Caribbean
Sub-Saharan Africa 17,190 17,955 17,714 17 18 17 1.16 1.13 1.04 1,555 213 228
Global totals 1,520,909 1,582,632 1,666,057 208 214 223 2.02 1.99 1.98 19,578 23,863 7,829
* Estimates. **Totals exclude defence-spending estimates for states where insufficient official information is available in order to enable approximate comparisons of regional defence-spending between years
[a] ‘National Defence’ budget chapter. Excludes other defence-related expenditures included under other budget lines (e.g. pensions) – see Table 11, p.175