Germany vs Netherlands
Germany vs Netherlands: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 4.5% of government spending in Germany and 4.8% of government spending in Netherlands, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Netherlands, by 0.3 percentage points, or 1.08 times that in Germany.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Netherlands has been higher since 2016, when it overtook Germany.
- In 2025, Germany ranked 87 and Netherlands ranked 79 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Germany | Netherlands |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.5 | 4.8 |
| 2024 | 3.7 | 4.4 |
| 2023 | 3.1 | 3.3 |
| 2022 | 2.7 | 3 |
| 2021 | 2.6 | 3 |
| 2020 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| 2019 | 2.7 | 3.1 |
| 2018 | 2.6 | 2.8 |
| 2017 | 2.5 | 2.7 |
| 2016 | 2.5 | 2.6 |
| 2015 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 2014 | 2.5 | 2.5 |
| 2013 | 2.6 | 2.4 |
| 2012 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
| 2011 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| 2010 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| 2009 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| 2008 | 2.7 | 2.9 |
| 2007 | 2.6 | 3.1 |
| 2006 | 2.6 | 3.2 |
| 2005 | 2.6 | 3.2 |
| 2004 | 2.7 | 3.2 |
| 2003 | 2.7 | 3.1 |
| 2002 | 2.7 | 3.2 |
| 2001 | 2.7 | 3.3 |
| 2000 | 2.8 | 3.3 |
| 1999 | 2.8 | 3.5 |
| 1998 | 2.9 | 3.6 |
| 1997 | 2.9 | 3.6 |
| 1996 | 2.9 | 3.7 |
| 1995 | 2.7 | 3.3 |
| 1994 | 3.2 | 3.8 |
| 1993 | 3.5 | 3.9 |
| 1992 | 3.9 | 4.3 |
| 1991 | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| 1990 | – | 4.7 |
| 1989 | – | 4.9 |
| 1988 | – | 4.9 |
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
Germany vs Netherlands
Health
- Life expectancyGermany: 81.4 years in 2023Netherlands: 82.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGermany: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Netherlands: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGermany: 3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Netherlands: 3.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterGermany: 99.9% in 2022Netherlands: 100% in 2022
- DepressionGermany: 3.96% in 2017Netherlands: 4.03% in 2017
- Suicide rateGermany: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017Netherlands: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGermany: 84.6 million people in 2023Netherlands: 18.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthGermany: 0.35% a year in 2023Netherlands: 0.81% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGermany: 1.44 births per woman in 2023Netherlands: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGermany: 82.1% in 2025Netherlands: 95.9% in 2025
- Median ageGermany: 45.2 years in 2023Netherlands: 41.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGermany: 22.8% in 2023Netherlands: 20.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateGermany: 7.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Netherlands: 8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGermany: 2.27% of GDP in 2025Netherlands: 2.2% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGermany: $107B in 2025Netherlands: $27B in 2025
- Military spending per personGermany: $1,346 in 2025Netherlands: $1,582 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelGermany: 183,000 people in 2020Netherlands: 41,000 people in 2020
- National powerGermany: 1.5% of world capability in 2022Netherlands: 0.38% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGermany: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020Netherlands: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGermany: 1.63 billion TIV in 2025Netherlands: 824 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsGermany: 1.7 billion TIV in 2025Netherlands: 601 million TIV in 2025