Lebanon vs Syria
Lebanon vs Syria: Military spending
Military spending: 2.51% of GDP in Lebanon in 2025 and 4.06% of GDP in Syria in 2010, by SIPRI estimates. In 2010 the value was higher in Lebanon, by 0.07 percentage points, or 1.02 times that in Syria.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Lebanon has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Syria.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Lebanon | Syria |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.51 | – |
| 2024 | 2.25 | – |
| 2023 | 1.2 | – |
| 2022 | 1.01 | – |
| 2021 | 1.18 | – |
| 2020 | 3.03 | – |
| 2019 | 4.74 | – |
| 2018 | 5.06 | – |
| 2017 | 4.6 | – |
| 2016 | 5.1 | – |
| 2015 | 4.49 | – |
| 2014 | 4.72 | – |
| 2013 | 4.13 | – |
| 2012 | 3.99 | – |
| 2011 | 4.07 | – |
| 2010 | 4.12 | 4.06 |
| 2009 | 4.03 | 4.03 |
| 2008 | 4.02 | 3.55 |
| 2007 | 4.64 | 4.1 |
| 2006 | 4.58 | 4.39 |
| 2005 | 4.48 | 5.03 |
| 2004 | 4.51 | 5.54 |
| 2003 | 4.68 | 6.25 |
| 2002 | 4.75 | 5.41 |
| 2001 | 5.45 | 5.48 |
| 2000 | 5.39 | 5.45 |
| 1999 | 4.77 | 5.81 |
| 1998 | 4.02 | 5.81 |
| 1997 | 4.31 | 5.88 |
| 1996 | 5.66 | 6.04 |
| 1995 | 6.71 | 6.95 |
| 1994 | 7 | 7.36 |
| 1993 | 6.01 | 7.24 |
| 1992 | 7.98 | 8.99 |
| 1991 | 5.16 | 10.43 |
| 1990 | 7.55 | 6.87 |
| 1989 | – | 7.97 |
| 1988 | 1.19 | 7.85 |
| 1987 | 1.12 | 11.22 |
| 1986 | 5.26 | 14.45 |
| 1985 | 6.29 | 16.56 |
| 1984 | 10.97 | 17.69 |
| 1983 | 13.46 | 14.64 |
| 1982 | 9.29 | 15.56 |
| 1981 | 9.58 | 14.55 |
| 1980 | 12.36 | 17.25 |
| 1979 | 10.07 | 15.93 |
| 1978 | 8.49 | 14.71 |
| 1977 | 4.73 | 14.5 |
| 1976 | 12.12 | 14.73 |
| 1975 | – | 15.95 |
| 1974 | – | 12.66 |
| 1973 | 3.82 | 15.07 |
| 1972 | 5.09 | 10.77 |
| 1971 | 4 | 8.44 |
| 1970 | 4.34 | 11.22 |
| 1969 | 4.64 | 10.83 |
| 1968 | 4.84 | 12.16 |
| 1967 | 4.84 | 8.21 |
| 1966 | 4.16 | 7.75 |
| 1965 | 3.89 | 8.88 |
| 1964 | 3.66 | 8.64 |
| 1962 | – | 13.47 |
| 1961 | – | 9.55 |
| 1960 | – | 10.52 |
- 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
Lebanon vs Syria
Health
- Life expectancyLebanon: 77.8 years in 2023Syria: 72.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityLebanon: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024Syria: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityLebanon: 15.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Syria: 16.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionLebanon: 3.68% in 2017Syria: 3.58% in 2017
- Suicide rateLebanon: 4.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Syria: 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationLebanon: 5.77 million people in 2023Syria: 23.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthLebanon: 0.43% a year in 2023Syria: 4.92% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateLebanon: 2.24 births per woman in 2023Syria: 2.71 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationLebanon: 91% in 2025Syria: 72.1% in 2025
- Median ageLebanon: 28.3 years in 2023Syria: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overLebanon: 9.8% in 2023Syria: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateLebanon: -5.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Syria: 32.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending per personLebanon: $142 in 2025Syria: $110 in 2011
- Military share of state spendingLebanon: 16.6% of government spending in 2025Syria: 13.6% of government spending in 2010
- Armed forces personnelLebanon: 80,000 people in 2020Syria: 269,000 people in 2020
- National powerLebanon: 0.08% of world capability in 2022Syria: 0.29% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersLebanon: 4.1% of the labour force in 2020Syria: 5.44% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsLebanon: 9 million TIV in 2024Syria: 2 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsLebanon: 48 million TIV in 2002Syria: 30 million TIV in 2010