Eritrea vs Ethiopia
Eritrea vs Ethiopia: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending: 46.4% of government spending in Eritrea in 2003 and 4.1% of government spending in Ethiopia in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2003 the value was higher in Eritrea, by 34.4 percentage points, or 3.87 times that in Ethiopia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Eritrea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1993.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Eritrea | Ethiopia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | – | 4.1 |
| 2024 | – | 5.2 |
| 2023 | – | 7.1 |
| 2022 | – | 6.8 |
| 2021 | – | 3.2 |
| 2020 | – | 3.2 |
| 2019 | – | 3.6 |
| 2018 | – | 3.9 |
| 2017 | – | 3.8 |
| 2016 | – | 3.8 |
| 2015 | – | 3.9 |
| 2014 | – | 4.2 |
| 2013 | – | 4.5 |
| 2012 | – | 5.2 |
| 2011 | – | 5.8 |
| 2010 | – | 5.9 |
| 2009 | – | 6.9 |
| 2008 | – | 8 |
| 2007 | – | 9.1 |
| 2006 | – | 10.3 |
| 2005 | – | 12.1 |
| 2004 | – | 13.3 |
| 2003 | 46.4 | 12 |
| 2002 | 44.5 | 14.8 |
| 2001 | 48.1 | 19.2 |
| 2000 | 49.8 | 29.5 |
| 1999 | 41.9 | 36.2 |
| 1998 | 47.7 | 28.8 |
| 1997 | 25.5 | 15.1 |
| 1996 | 38.3 | 7.9 |
| 1995 | 31.1 | 9 |
| 1994 | 32.6 | 11.5 |
| 1993 | 41 | 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
Eritrea vs Ethiopia
Health
- Life expectancyEritrea: 68.6 years in 2023Ethiopia: 67.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEritrea: 3.4 per 100 live births in 2024Ethiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEritrea: 27.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023Ethiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEritrea: 3.87% in 2017Ethiopia: 3.82% in 2017
- Suicide rateEritrea: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Ethiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEritrea: 3.47 million people in 2023Ethiopia: 129 million people in 2023
- Population growthEritrea: 1.81% a year in 2023Ethiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEritrea: 3.71 births per woman in 2023Ethiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEritrea: 34.5% in 2025Ethiopia: 24.1% in 2025
- Median ageEritrea: 18.7 years in 2023Ethiopia: 18.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEritrea: 4.2% in 2023Ethiopia: 3.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateEritrea: -4.4 per 1,000 people in 2023Ethiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEritrea: 20.87% of GDP in 2003Ethiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personEritrea: $75 in 2003Ethiopia: $4 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEritrea: 202,000 people in 2020Ethiopia: 138,000 people in 2020
- National powerEritrea: 0.31% of world capability in 2022Ethiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEritrea: 13.29% of the labour force in 2020Ethiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEritrea: 4 million TIV in 2007Ethiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsEritrea: 0 TIV in 2006Ethiopia: 17 million TIV in 1997