Eritrea vs Ethiopia

Eritrea vs Ethiopia: Military spending

Military spending: 20.87% of GDP in Eritrea in 2003 and 0.49% of GDP in Ethiopia in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2003 the value was higher in Eritrea, by 17.57 percentage points, or 6.33 times that in Ethiopia.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

Eritrea vs Ethiopia: Military spendingMilitary spending: 20.87% of GDP in Eritrea in 2003 and 0.49% of GDP in Ethiopia in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2003 the value was higher in Eritrea, by 17.57 percentage points, or 6.33 times that in Ethiopia.
EritreaEthiopiaSIPRI estimateHighly uncertain

What the numbers say

  • Eritrea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1993.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearEritreaEthiopia
2025–0.49
2024–0.49
2023–0.77
2022–0.86
2021–0.44
2020–0.47
2019–0.56
2018–0.63
2017–0.68
2016–0.68
2015–0.67
2014–0.73
2013–0.81
2012–0.87
2011–1.06
2010–1.11
2009–1.21
2008–1.53
2007–1.91
2006–2.31
2005–2.81
2004–3.13
200320.873.3
200220.673.76
200122.144.39
200032.667.69
199934.389.51
199832.57.28
199711.863.34
199620.342.12
199519.542.23
199412.722.87
199321.333.07
1992–3.44
1991–5.71
1990–9.66
1989–10.28
1988–8.5
1987–6.86
1986–6.7
1985–6.82
1984–7.97
1983–7.18
1982–7.54
1981–7.54
1980–8.71
1979–6.89
1978–4.81
1977–3.97
1976–4.13
1975–4.49
1974–2.8
1973–1.93
1972–1.94
1971–1.91
1970–1.88
1969–2.02
1968–2.2
1967–2.49
1966–3.11
1965–3.23
1964–2.92
1963–2.43
1962–1.93
1961–1.86
  • Estimate
  • Highly uncertain

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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

Eritrea vs Ethiopia

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