Malawi vs Nigeria
Malawi vs Nigeria: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 3.8% of government spending in Malawi and 5.9% of government spending in Nigeria, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Nigeria, by 2.1 percentage points, or 1.53 times that in Malawi.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Nigeria has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Malawi.
- In 2025, Malawi ranked 108 and Nigeria ranked 58 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Malawi | Nigeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.8 | 5.9 |
| 2024 | 3.4 | 3.7 |
| 2023 | 4.3 | 6 |
| 2022 | 3.5 | 4.5 |
| 2021 | 3.1 | 8.1 |
| 2020 | 3.7 | 5.2 |
| 2019 | 3.9 | 3.7 |
| 2018 | 3 | 4 |
| 2017 | 2.5 | 3.6 |
| 2016 | 2.3 | 4.4 |
| 2015 | 2.3 | 3.8 |
| 2014 | 3.2 | 3.1 |
| 2013 | 3.9 | 3.3 |
| 2012 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
| 2011 | 2.8 | 3.3 |
| 2010 | 2.6 | 3.3 |
| 2009 | 3.3 | 3.3 |
| 2008 | 2.9 | 3.4 |
| 2007 | 2.6 | 2 |
| 2006 | 3.1 | 2.8 |
| 2005 | 4.3 | 2.2 |
| 2004 | 2.6 | 2.7 |
| 2003 | 1.9 | 2.5 |
| 2002 | 2.2 | 4.9 |
| 2001 | – | 2.5 |
| 2000 | – | 2.2 |
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.
- 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
Malawi vs Nigeria
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023Nigeria: 54.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024Nigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Nigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMalawi: 17.8% in 2022Nigeria: 29% in 2022
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017Nigeria: 3.92% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Nigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023Nigeria: 228 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023Nigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023Nigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025Nigeria: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023Nigeria: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023Nigeria: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Nigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025Nigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025Nigeria: $1.76B in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025Nigeria: $9 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020Nigeria: 223,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Nigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020Nigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024Nigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMalawi: 1 million TIV in 2000Nigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022