Cameroon vs Ethiopia
Cameroon vs Ethiopia: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 6.5% of government spending in Cameroon and 4.1% of government spending in Ethiopia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Cameroon, by 2.4 percentage points, or 1.59 times that in Ethiopia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Cameroon has been higher since 2024, when it overtook Ethiopia.
- In 2025, Cameroon ranked 50 and Ethiopia ranked 102 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Cameroon | Ethiopia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.5 | 4.1 |
| 2024 | 5.9 | 5.2 |
| 2023 | 5.4 | 7.1 |
| 2022 | 5.5 | 6.8 |
| 2021 | 5.8 | 3.2 |
| 2020 | 5.8 | 3.2 |
| 2019 | 5.7 | 3.6 |
| 2018 | 6 | 3.9 |
| 2017 | 5.9 | 3.8 |
| 2016 | 5.7 | 3.8 |
| 2015 | 5.5 | 3.9 |
| 2014 | 5.5 | 4.2 |
| 2013 | 6.1 | 4.5 |
| 2012 | 6.9 | 5.2 |
| 2011 | 6.4 | 5.8 |
| 2010 | 8.5 | 5.9 |
| 2009 | 8.4 | 6.9 |
| 2008 | 7.9 | 8 |
| 2007 | 9.2 | 9.1 |
| 2006 | 9.8 | 10.3 |
| 2005 | 9.2 | 12.1 |
| 2004 | 8.8 | 13.3 |
| 2003 | 9 | 12 |
| 2002 | 8.5 | 14.8 |
| 2001 | 7.8 | 19.2 |
| 2000 | 8 | 29.5 |
| 1999 | – | 36.2 |
| 1998 | – | 28.8 |
| 1997 | – | 15.1 |
| 1996 | – | 7.9 |
| 1995 | – | 9 |
| 1994 | – | 11.5 |
| 1993 | – | 15.7 |
| 1992 | – | 17 |
| 1991 | – | 22.6 |
| 1990 | – | 30.8 |
| 1989 | – | 28.2 |
| 1988 | – | 26 |
- Estimate
- Highly uncertain
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.
- 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
Cameroon vs Ethiopia
Health
- Life expectancyCameroon: 63.7 years in 2023Ethiopia: 67.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCameroon: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024Ethiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCameroon: 47.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023Ethiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCameroon: 3.75% in 2017Ethiopia: 3.82% in 2017
- Suicide rateCameroon: 14 per 100,000 people in 2017Ethiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCameroon: 28.4 million people in 2023Ethiopia: 129 million people in 2023
- Population growthCameroon: 2.64% a year in 2023Ethiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCameroon: 4.32 births per woman in 2023Ethiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCameroon: 55.7% in 2025Ethiopia: 24.1% in 2025
- Median ageCameroon: 17.8 years in 2023Ethiopia: 18.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCameroon: 2.8% in 2023Ethiopia: 3.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateCameroon: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Ethiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCameroon: 1.06% of GDP in 2025Ethiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCameroon: $580M in 2025Ethiopia: $785M in 2025
- Military spending per personCameroon: $21 in 2025Ethiopia: $4 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelCameroon: 34,000 people in 2020Ethiopia: 138,000 people in 2020
- National powerCameroon: 0.16% of world capability in 2022Ethiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCameroon: 0.34% of the labour force in 2020Ethiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCameroon: 2 million TIV in 2023Ethiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025