India vs Sri Lanka
India vs Sri Lanka: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 8.2% of government spending in India and 4.9% of government spending in Sri Lanka, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in India, by 3.3 percentage points, or 1.66 times that in Sri Lanka.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- India has been higher since 2022, when it overtook Sri Lanka.
- In 2025, India ranked 35 and Sri Lanka ranked 77 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | India | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.2 | 4.9 |
| 2024 | 7.6 | 6.6 |
| 2023 | 8.1 | 6.8 |
| 2022 | 8 | 7.3 |
| 2021 | 8 | 8.6 |
| 2020 | 8.8 | 8.4 |
| 2019 | 9.3 | 9 |
| 2018 | 9.1 | 9.9 |
| 2017 | 9.4 | 11.1 |
| 2016 | 9.1 | 10.9 |
| 2015 | 8.8 | 12.5 |
| 2014 | 9.5 | 13.5 |
| 2013 | 9.3 | 12.5 |
| 2012 | 9.3 | 12.1 |
| 2011 | 9.6 | 13.5 |
| 2010 | 9.9 | 13.5 |
| 2009 | 10.3 | 14.6 |
| 2008 | 8.9 | 16.4 |
| 2007 | 8.9 | 13.9 |
| 2006 | 9.5 | 11.5 |
| 2005 | 10.4 | 11.1 |
| 2004 | 10.1 | 13.2 |
| 2003 | 9.1 | 12.5 |
| 2002 | 9.9 | 13.6 |
| 2001 | 10.5 | 15.6 |
| 2000 | 11.5 | 18.9 |
| 1999 | 11.6 | 16.1 |
| 1998 | 10.7 | 17.8 |
| 1997 | 10.7 | 17.7 |
| 1996 | 10.3 | 19.5 |
| 1995 | 10.5 | 19.3 |
| 1994 | 10.4 | 12.7 |
| 1993 | 11 | 12.1 |
| 1992 | 10.3 | 12 |
| 1991 | 10.9 | 9.5 |
| 1990 | 12.4 | 7.5 |
| 1989 | 13.6 | – |
| 1988 | 14.8 | – |
- Estimate
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
India vs Sri Lanka
Health
- Life expectancyIndia: 72 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 77.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIndia: 2.7 per 100 live births in 2024Sri Lanka: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIndia: 22.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sri Lanka: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIndia: 3.53% in 2017Sri Lanka: 3.44% in 2017
- Suicide rateIndia: 15.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Sri Lanka: 19.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIndia: 1.44 billion people in 2023Sri Lanka: 23 million people in 2023
- Population growthIndia: 0.89% a year in 2023Sri Lanka: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIndia: 1.98 births per woman in 2023Sri Lanka: 1.97 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIndia: 35.7% in 2025Sri Lanka: 20.5% in 2025
- Median ageIndia: 28.1 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 32.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIndia: 6.9% in 2023Sri Lanka: 11.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateIndia: -0.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Sri Lanka: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIndia: 2.3% of GDP in 2025Sri Lanka: 1.31% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIndia: $93.3B in 2025Sri Lanka: $1.36B in 2025
- Military spending per personIndia: $63 in 2025Sri Lanka: $60 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIndia: 3.07 million people in 2020Sri Lanka: 317,000 people in 2020
- National powerIndia: 9.94% of world capability in 2022Sri Lanka: 0.31% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIndia: 0.58% of the labour force in 2020Sri Lanka: 3.74% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIndia: 2.86 billion TIV in 2025Sri Lanka: 11 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIndia: 81 million TIV in 2025Sri Lanka: 8 million TIV in 1998