Brunei vs Malaysia
Brunei vs Malaysia: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars: $560M in Brunei in 2024 and $4.55B in Malaysia in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Malaysia, by $3.82B, or 7.81 times that in Brunei.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Malaysia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1984.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Brunei | Malaysia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | $4.55B |
| 2024 | $560M | $4.38B |
| 2023 | $450M | $3.98B |
| 2022 | $450M | $3.69B |
| 2021 | $473M | $3.59B |
| 2020 | $475M | $3.43B |
| 2019 | $455M | $3.23B |
| 2018 | $387M | $3.34B |
| 2017 | $389M | $3.66B |
| 2016 | $446M | $4.36B |
| 2015 | $465M | $4.55B |
| 2014 | $531M | $4.23B |
| 2013 | $408M | $4.2B |
| 2012 | $408M | $3.85B |
| 2011 | $416M | $4.04B |
| 2010 | $425M | $3.6B |
| 2009 | $407M | $4.12B |
| 2008 | $414M | $4.37B |
| 2007 | $402M | $4.27B |
| 2006 | $388M | $3.82B |
| 2005 | $345M | $3.91B |
| 2004 | $285M | $3.65B |
| 2003 | $361M | $3.78B |
| 2002 | $346M | $2.97B |
| 2001 | $325M | $2.61B |
| 2000 | $353M | $2.1B |
| 1999 | $373M | $2.31B |
| 1998 | $418M | $1.71B |
| 1997 | $463M | $2.33B |
| 1996 | $398M | $2.48B |
| 1995 | $355M | $2.57B |
| 1994 | $372M | $2.42B |
| 1993 | $360M | $2.23B |
| 1992 | $407M | $2.1B |
| 1991 | $426M | $2.12B |
| 1990 | $428M | $1.55B |
| 1989 | $379M | $1.45B |
| 1988 | $379M | $1.21B |
| 1987 | $235M | $1.86B |
| 1986 | $260M | $1.28B |
| 1985 | $247M | $1.49B |
| 1984 | $234M | $1.67B |
| 1983 | – | $1.81B |
| 1982 | – | $2.03B |
| 1981 | – | $2.13B |
| 1980 | – | $1.58B |
| 1979 | – | $1.27B |
| 1978 | – | $1.09B |
| 1977 | – | $1.28B |
| 1976 | – | $952M |
| 1975 | – | $922M |
| 1974 | – | $873M |
| 1973 | – | $777M |
| 1972 | – | $839M |
| 1971 | – | $851M |
| 1970 | – | $759M |
| 1969 | – | $557M |
| 1968 | – | $572M |
| 1967 | – | $552M |
| 1966 | – | $599M |
| 1965 | – | $482M |
| 1964 | – | $344M |
| 1963 | – | $246M |
| 1962 | – | $183M |
| 1961 | – | $177M |
| 1960 | – | $214M |
| 1959 | – | $232M |
| 1958 | – | $266M |
| 1957 | – | $253M |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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.
- Ranks count the 151 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
Brunei vs Malaysia
Health
- Life expectancyBrunei: 75.3 years in 2023Malaysia: 76.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBrunei: 1 per 100 live births in 2024Malaysia: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBrunei: 8.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Malaysia: 6.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBrunei: 2.56% in 2017Malaysia: 3.52% in 2017
- Suicide rateBrunei: 6.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Malaysia: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBrunei: 458,900 people in 2023Malaysia: 35.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthBrunei: 0.84% a year in 2023Malaysia: 1.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBrunei: 1.75 births per woman in 2023Malaysia: 1.55 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBrunei: 75% in 2025Malaysia: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageBrunei: 31.8 years in 2023Malaysia: 30.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBrunei: 6.5% in 2023Malaysia: 7.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBrunei: 0 per 1,000 people in 2023Malaysia: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBrunei: 3.65% of GDP in 2024Malaysia: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personBrunei: $1,216 in 2024Malaysia: $138 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBrunei: 12.2% of government spending in 2024Malaysia: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBrunei: 8,000 people in 2020Malaysia: 136,000 people in 2020
- National powerBrunei: 0.02% of world capability in 2022Malaysia: 0.46% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBrunei: 3.57% of the labour force in 2020Malaysia: 0.81% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBrunei: 28 million TIV in 2024Malaysia: 7 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsBrunei: 12 million TIV in 2016Malaysia: 20 million TIV in 2024