Ghana vs Malawi: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 0.48% of GDP in Ghana and 1.15% of GDP in Malawi, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Malawi, by 0.67 percentage points, or 2.4 times that in Ghana.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

GhanaMalawi

What the numbers say

Malawi has been higher since 2013, when it overtook Ghana.
In 2025, Ghana ranked 141 and Malawi ranked 102 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Ghana	Malawi
2025	0.48	1.15
2024	0.35	1.06
2023	0.4	1.17
2022	0.34	0.93
2021	0.38	0.73
2020	0.35	0.83
2019	0.34	0.76
2018	0.33	0.59
2017	0.31	0.53
2016	0.29	0.45
2015	0.39	0.45
2014	0.49	0.58
2013	0.4	0.81
2012	0.59	0.54
2011	0.44	0.47
2010	0.28	0.51
2009	0.34	0.67
2008	0.29	0.59
2007	0.37	0.54
2006	0.26	0.55
2005	0.26	0.74
2004	0.28	0.45
2003	0.3	0.29
2002	0.26	0.3
2001	0.26	0.3
2000	0.44	0.28
1999	0.33	0.33
1998	0.33	0.34
1997	0.29	0.41
1996	0.29	0.36
1995	0.34	0.32
1994	0.43	0.58
1993	0.42	0.51
1992	0.38	0.57
1991	0.37	0.44
1990	0.28	0.58
1989	0.43	0.61
1988	0.44	0.62
1987	0.89	0.76
1986	0.9	0.86
1985	1	0.72
1984	0.59	0.64
1983	0.34	0.74
1982	0.54	0.94
1981	0.74	1.27
1980	0.77	1.76
1979	0.65	4.07
1978	0.85	2.7
1977	1.25	1.69
1976	1.57	1.37
1975	1.72	1.53
1974	1.58	0.97
1973	1.37	1.06
1972	1.43	0.6
1971	1.7	0.58
1970	2.12	0.64
1969	2.5	0.67
1968	2.66	0.7
1967	–	0.72
1966	2.23	0.65
1965	1.73	0.7
1964	1.92	–
1963	2.02	–
1962	2	–
1961	2.1	–
1960	1.71	–
1959	1.03	–
1958	1	–

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.
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

Ghana vs Malawi: Military spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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