Afghanistan vs Syria
Afghanistan vs Syria: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending: 5% of government spending in Afghanistan in 2020 and 13.6% of government spending in Syria in 2010, by SIPRI estimates. In 2010 the value was higher in Syria, by 4.3 percentage points, or 1.46 times that in Afghanistan.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Syria has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2004.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Afghanistan | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 5 | – |
| 2019 | 4.3 | – |
| 2018 | 3.7 | – |
| 2017 | 3.7 | – |
| 2016 | 3.7 | – |
| 2015 | 3.8 | – |
| 2014 | 5.1 | – |
| 2013 | 4.3 | – |
| 2012 | 4.7 | – |
| 2011 | 8.3 | – |
| 2010 | 9.4 | 13.6 |
| 2009 | 9.9 | 15.1 |
| 2008 | 11.2 | 15.5 |
| 2007 | 12 | 15.9 |
| 2006 | 10.4 | 16.5 |
| 2005 | 12.7 | 17.8 |
| 2004 | 16.1 | 17.7 |
| 2003 | – | 19.1 |
| 2002 | – | 17.4 |
| 2001 | – | 18.9 |
| 2000 | – | 19 |
| 1999 | – | 20.7 |
| 1998 | – | 20.2 |
| 1997 | – | 20.3 |
| 1996 | – | 21.8 |
| 1995 | – | 23.4 |
| 1994 | – | 24.3 |
| 1993 | – | 24.6 |
| 1992 | – | 26.3 |
| 1991 | – | 30.4 |
| 1990 | – | 24.3 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Afghanistan vs Syria
Health
- Life expectancyAfghanistan: 66 years in 2023Syria: 72.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAfghanistan: 5.3 per 100 live births in 2024Syria: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAfghanistan: 44 per 1,000 live births in 2023Syria: 16.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAfghanistan: 4.14% in 2017Syria: 3.58% in 2017
- Suicide rateAfghanistan: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Syria: 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAfghanistan: 41.5 million people in 2023Syria: 23.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthAfghanistan: 2.85% a year in 2023Syria: 4.92% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAfghanistan: 4.84 births per woman in 2023Syria: 2.71 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAfghanistan: 25.9% in 2025Syria: 72.1% in 2025
- Median ageAfghanistan: 16.9 years in 2023Syria: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAfghanistan: 2.4% in 2023Syria: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateAfghanistan: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Syria: 32.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAfghanistan: 1.83% of GDP in 2021Syria: 4.06% of GDP in 2010
- Military spending per personAfghanistan: $7 in 2021Syria: $110 in 2011
- Armed forces personnelAfghanistan: 165,000 people in 2020Syria: 269,000 people in 2020
- National powerAfghanistan: 0.29% of world capability in 2022Syria: 0.29% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAfghanistan: 1.82% of the labour force in 2020Syria: 5.44% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAfghanistan: 65 million TIV in 2021Syria: 2 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsAfghanistan: 1 million TIV in 1992Syria: 30 million TIV in 2010