Benin vs Ghana
Benin vs Ghana: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 4.8% of government spending in Benin and 2.4% of government spending in Ghana, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Benin, by 2.4 percentage points, or 2.01 times that in Ghana.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Benin has been higher since 2001, when it overtook Ghana.
- In 2025, Benin ranked 80 and Ghana ranked 129 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Benin | Ghana |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.8 | 2.4 |
| 2024 | 4.3 | 1.4 |
| 2023 | 4 | 2 |
| 2022 | 3.2 | 1.2 |
| 2021 | 2.8 | 1.4 |
| 2020 | 2.4 | 1.1 |
| 2019 | 3.2 | 1.5 |
| 2018 | 3.8 | 1.6 |
| 2017 | 5.2 | 1.8 |
| 2016 | 4.4 | 1.5 |
| 2015 | 4.4 | 2.1 |
| 2014 | 4.9 | 2.3 |
| 2013 | 4.6 | 1.9 |
| 2012 | 4.9 | 2.7 |
| 2011 | – | 2.2 |
| 2010 | – | 1.4 |
| 2009 | – | 1.9 |
| 2008 | 4.6 | 1.7 |
| 2007 | – | 2.1 |
| 2006 | 5.1 | 1.7 |
| 2005 | 4.8 | 1.9 |
| 2004 | 5.1 | 1.9 |
| 2003 | 4.7 | 2.3 |
| 2002 | 4.1 | 2.3 |
| 2001 | 2.3 | 1.8 |
| 2000 | 2.6 | 3.4 |
| 1999 | 4.5 | 2.8 |
| 1998 | – | 2.6 |
| 1997 | – | 2.2 |
| 1996 | – | 2.1 |
| 1995 | – | 2.4 |
| 1994 | – | 2.2 |
| 1993 | – | 2.3 |
| 1992 | – | 2.6 |
| 1991 | – | 3.3 |
| 1990 | 9.2 | 2.6 |
| 1989 | 10.5 | 2.3 |
| 1988 | – | 2.3 |
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.
- Ranks count the 150 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Benin vs Ghana
Health
- Life expectancyBenin: 60.8 years in 2023Ghana: 65.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBenin: 7.5 per 100 live births in 2024Ghana: 3.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBenin: 52.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Ghana: 30.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBenin: 3.63% in 2017Ghana: 3.4% in 2017
- Suicide rateBenin: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Ghana: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBenin: 14.1 million people in 2023Ghana: 33.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthBenin: 2.51% a year in 2023Ghana: 1.9% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBenin: 4.56 births per woman in 2023Ghana: 3.4 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBenin: 53.4% in 2025Ghana: 58.9% in 2025
- Median ageBenin: 17.8 years in 2023Ghana: 20.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBenin: 3.1% in 2023Ghana: 3.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateBenin: -0 per 1,000 people in 2023Ghana: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBenin: 0.89% of GDP in 2025Ghana: 0.48% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBenin: $204M in 2025Ghana: $385M in 2025
- Military spending per personBenin: $15 in 2025Ghana: $15 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBenin: 12,000 people in 2020Ghana: 16,000 people in 2020
- National powerBenin: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Ghana: 0.17% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBenin: 0.21% of the labour force in 2020Ghana: 0.13% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBenin: 4 million TIV in 2025Ghana: 5 million TIV in 2025