Kenya vs Nigeria
Kenya vs Nigeria: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $1.36B in Kenya and $1.76B in Nigeria, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Nigeria, by $401M, or 1.3 times that in Kenya.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Nigeria has been higher since 2025, when it overtook Kenya.
- In 2025, Kenya ranked 73 and Nigeria ranked 66 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Kenya | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $1.36B | $1.76B |
| 2024 | $1.26B | $1.14B |
| 2023 | $1.14B | $1.78B |
| 2022 | $1.14B | $1.48B |
| 2021 | $1.16B | $2.38B |
| 2020 | $1.13B | $1.52B |
| 2019 | $1.15B | $1.18B |
| 2018 | $1.19B | $1.29B |
| 2017 | $1.16B | $1.09B |
| 2016 | $1.13B | $1.14B |
| 2015 | $1.05B | $1.18B |
| 2014 | $976M | $1.21B |
| 2013 | $1.07B | $1.33B |
| 2012 | $1.09B | $1.39B |
| 2011 | $962M | $1.58B |
| 2010 | $941M | $1.41B |
| 2009 | $887M | $1.21B |
| 2008 | $870M | $1.16B |
| 2007 | $911M | $825M |
| 2006 | $814M | $711M |
| 2005 | $823M | $682M |
| 2004 | $780M | $772M |
| 2003 | $791M | $793M |
| 2002 | $783M | $1.29B |
| 2001 | $728M | $853M |
| 2000 | $632M | $599M |
| 1999 | $589M | $776M |
| 1998 | $605M | $458M |
| 1997 | $642M | $359M |
| 1996 | $676M | $334M |
| 1995 | $578M | $394M |
| 1994 | $504M | $342M |
| 1993 | $605M | $487M |
| 1992 | $724M | $360M |
| 1991 | $968M | $419M |
| 1990 | $1.24B | $437M |
| 1989 | $1.22B | $264M |
| 1988 | $1.31B | $389M |
| 1987 | $1.36B | $396M |
| 1986 | $1.06B | $494M |
| 1985 | $884M | $561M |
| 1984 | $1.05B | $574M |
| 1983 | $1.28B | $859M |
| 1982 | $1.36B | $998M |
| 1981 | $1.35B | $1.28B |
| 1980 | $1.39B | $1.93B |
| 1979 | $1.71B | $2.38B |
| 1978 | $1.57B | $2.75B |
| 1977 | $1.21B | $3.53B |
| 1976 | $723M | $3.33B |
| 1975 | $504M | $4.66B |
| 1974 | $505M | $2.85B |
| 1973 | $467M | $2.53B |
| 1972 | $414M | $2.36B |
| 1971 | $325M | $1.87B |
| 1970 | $260M | $2.26B |
| 1969 | $246M | $2.65B |
| 1968 | $255M | $1.58B |
| 1967 | $250M | $1.02B |
| 1966 | $208M | $228M |
| 1965 | $165M | $296M |
| 1964 | $102M | $254M |
| 1963 | $32.2M | $214M |
| 1962 | – | $177M |
| 1961 | – | $136M |
| 1960 | – | $120M |
- 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
Kenya vs Nigeria
Health
- Life expectancyKenya: 63.7 years in 2023Nigeria: 54.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityKenya: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024Nigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityKenya: 29.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Nigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionKenya: 3.51% in 2017Nigeria: 3.92% in 2017
- Suicide rateKenya: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Nigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationKenya: 55.3 million people in 2023Nigeria: 228 million people in 2023
- Population growthKenya: 1.97% a year in 2023Nigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateKenya: 3.21 births per woman in 2023Nigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationKenya: 32.2% in 2025Nigeria: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageKenya: 19.5 years in 2023Nigeria: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overKenya: 2.9% in 2023Nigeria: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateKenya: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Nigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingKenya: 1.07% of GDP in 2025Nigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personKenya: $26 in 2025Nigeria: $9 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingKenya: 4.6% of government spending in 2025Nigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelKenya: 24,000 people in 2020Nigeria: 223,000 people in 2020
- National powerKenya: 0.23% of world capability in 2022Nigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersKenya: 0.11% of the labour force in 2020Nigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsKenya: 117 million TIV in 2025Nigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsKenya: 2 million TIV in 1993Nigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022