Iran vs Nigeria: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 2.09% of GDP in Iran and 0.91% of GDP in Nigeria, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iran, by 1.18 percentage points, or 2.3 times that in Nigeria.
IranNigeria
Watch it change on the map% of GDP · SIPRI · log scale
Latest figures
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Iran | 2.09 2025 | 2.56 | 54 of 151 |
| Nigeria | 0.91 2025 | 0.42 | 115 of 151 |
What the numbers say
- Iran has been higher since 1974, when it overtook Nigeria.
- In 2025, Iran ranked 54 and Nigeria ranked 115 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Iran | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.09 | 0.91 |
| 2024 | 2.22 | 0.56 |
| 2023 | 2.49 | 0.84 |
| 2022 | 2.24 | 0.65 |
| 2021 | 2.32 | 1.01 |
| 2020 | 2.18 | 0.63 |
| 2019 | 2.15 | 0.46 |
| 2018 | 2.36 | 0.51 |
| 2017 | 2.84 | 0.43 |
| 2016 | 2.8 | 0.43 |
| 2015 | 2.56 | 0.42 |
| 2014 | 2.12 | 0.41 |
| 2013 | 2.18 | 0.47 |
| 2012 | 2.69 | 0.5 |
| 2011 | 2.38 | 0.58 |
| 2010 | 2.79 | 0.54 |
| 2009 | 3.05 | 0.51 |
| 2008 | 2.68 | 0.49 |
| 2007 | 2.65 | 0.37 |
| 2006 | 3.32 | 0.35 |
| 2005 | 3.04 | 0.4 |
| 2004 | 2.84 | 0.49 |
| 2003 | 2.41 | 0.57 |
| 2002 | 2.18 | 0.95 |
| 2001 | 2.42 | 0.78 |
| 2000 | 2.3 | 0.54 |
| 1999 | 2.41 | 0.86 |
| 1998 | 2.63 | 0.55 |
| 1997 | 2.5 | 0.44 |
| 1996 | 2.25 | 0.41 |
| 1995 | 2.15 | 0.48 |
| 1994 | 2.07 | 0.78 |
| 1993 | 1.7 | 0.93 |
| 1992 | 1.79 | 0.56 |
| 1991 | 2.17 | 0.77 |
| 1990 | 2.94 | 0.83 |
| 1989 | 4.56 | 0.58 |
| 1988 | 6.27 | 0.88 |
| 1987 | 5.89 | 0.77 |
| 1986 | 6.08 | 1.31 |
| 1985 | 6.51 | 1.44 |
| 1984 | 6.36 | 1.56 |
| 1983 | 7.1 | 2.22 |
| 1982 | 7.91 | 2.27 |
| 1981 | 8.19 | 2.77 |
| 1980 | 5.34 | 3.3 |
| 1979 | 5.8 | 4.32 |
| 1978 | 11.11 | 5.33 |
| 1977 | 10.19 | 6.02 |
| 1976 | 11.25 | 5.79 |
| 1975 | 12.07 | 8.12 |
| 1974 | 8.75 | 4.34 |
| 1973 | 1.87 | 5.48 |
| 1972 | 2.28 | 5.39 |
| 1971 | 3.05 | 4.39 |
| 1970 | 5.86 | 5.28 |
| 1969 | 5.97 | 10.32 |
| 1968 | 5.18 | 9.16 |
| 1967 | 4.46 | 5.81 |
| 1966 | 3.82 | 1.1 |
| 1965 | 3.25 | 1.4 |
| 1964 | 2.88 | 1.23 |
| 1963 | 2.59 | 1.1 |
| 1962 | 2.31 | 1.1 |
| 1961 | 2.35 | 0.85 |
| 1960 | 2.3 | 0.7 |
- Estimate
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