Iraq vs Kuwait
Iraq vs Kuwait: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $6.4B in Iraq and $7.92B in Kuwait, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Kuwait, by $1.52B, or 1.24 times that in Iraq.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Kuwait has been higher since 2016, when it overtook Iraq.
- In 2025, Iraq ranked 40 and Kuwait ranked 34 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Iraq | Kuwait |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $6.4B | $7.92B |
| 2024 | $6.34B | $7.8B |
| 2023 | $5.07B | $8B |
| 2022 | $4.82B | $8.78B |
| 2021 | $5.11B | $9.82B |
| 2020 | $5.3B | $7.97B |
| 2019 | $7.14B | $8.56B |
| 2018 | $5.89B | $8.36B |
| 2017 | $6.93B | $7.97B |
| 2016 | $5.58B | $7.73B |
| 2015 | $8.92B | $7.06B |
| 2014 | $6.51B | $7.01B |
| 2013 | $7.48B | $7.03B |
| 2012 | $4.06B | $7.43B |
| 2011 | $4.46B | $6.86B |
| 2010 | $4.14B | $6.01B |
| 2009 | $3.68B | $6.12B |
| 2008 | $3.86B | $6.29B |
| 2007 | $2.92B | $6.84B |
| 2006 | $1.91B | $6.44B |
| 2005 | $2.66B | $6.51B |
| 2004 | $1.97B | $6.73B |
| 2003 | – | $6.25B |
| 2002 | – | $5.8B |
| 2001 | – | $5.62B |
| 2000 | – | $5.72B |
| 1999 | – | $4.9B |
| 1998 | – | $5.04B |
| 1997 | – | $5.4B |
| 1996 | – | $7.09B |
| 1995 | – | $8.34B |
| 1994 | – | $7.6B |
| 1993 | – | $7.17B |
| 1992 | – | $14.8B |
| 1991 | – | $29.2B |
| 1990 | – | $22.4B |
| 1989 | – | $5.81B |
| 1988 | – | $4.68B |
| 1987 | – | $3.72B |
| 1986 | – | $3.79B |
| 1985 | – | $4.21B |
| 1984 | – | $4.47B |
| 1983 | – | $4.33B |
| 1982 | – | $4.04B |
| 1981 | – | $3.42B |
| 1980 | – | $3.25B |
| 1979 | – | $3.29B |
| 1978 | $1.99B | $2.94B |
| 1977 | $2.1B | $3.37B |
| 1976 | $2.01B | – |
| 1975 | $2.05B | – |
| 1974 | $2.02B | $2.22B |
| 1973 | $1.03B | $901M |
| 1972 | $828M | $719M |
| 1971 | $856M | – |
| 1970 | $843M | – |
| 1969 | $824M | – |
| 1968 | $676M | – |
| 1967 | $556M | – |
| 1966 | $575M | – |
| 1965 | $563M | – |
| 1964 | $460M | – |
| 1963 | $405M | – |
| 1962 | $349M | – |
| 1961 | $328M | – |
| 1960 | $313M | – |
| 1959 | $273M | – |
| 1958 | $233M | – |
| 1957 | $217M | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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
Iraq vs Kuwait
Health
- Life expectancyIraq: 72.3 years in 2023Kuwait: 80.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIraq: 2.2 per 100 live births in 2024Kuwait: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIraq: 19 per 1,000 live births in 2023Kuwait: 7.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIraq: 59.7% in 2022Kuwait: 100% in 2022
- DepressionIraq: 3.89% in 2017Kuwait: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateIraq: 4.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Kuwait: 2.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIraq: 45.1 million people in 2023Kuwait: 4.84 million people in 2023
- Population growthIraq: 2.15% a year in 2023Kuwait: 1.88% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIraq: 3.25 births per woman in 2023Kuwait: 1.53 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIraq: 69.9% in 2025Kuwait: 100% in 2025
- Median ageIraq: 20.4 years in 2023Kuwait: 34.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIraq: 3.4% in 2023Kuwait: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateIraq: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Kuwait: 10.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIraq: 2.45% of GDP in 2025Kuwait: 4.69% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personIraq: $139 in 2025Kuwait: $1,623 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIraq: 5.5% of government spending in 2025Kuwait: 10.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelIraq: 459,000 people in 2020Kuwait: 25,000 people in 2020
- National powerIraq: 0.54% of world capability in 2022Kuwait: 0.2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIraq: 4.4% of the labour force in 2020Kuwait: 1.03% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIraq: 55 million TIV in 2025Kuwait: 311 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIraq: 20 million TIV in 1989Kuwait: 95 million TIV in 1998