Malawi vs Rwanda
Malawi vs Rwanda: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.15% of GDP in Malawi and 1.29% of GDP in Rwanda, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 0.14 percentage points, or 1.12 times that in Malawi.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Rwanda has been higher since 1980, when it overtook Malawi.
- In 2025, Malawi ranked 102 and Rwanda ranked 97 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Malawi | Rwanda |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.15 | 1.29 |
| 2024 | 1.06 | 1.23 |
| 2023 | 1.17 | 1.25 |
| 2022 | 0.93 | 1.33 |
| 2021 | 0.73 | 1.51 |
| 2020 | 0.83 | 1.47 |
| 2019 | 0.76 | 1.2 |
| 2018 | 0.59 | 1.24 |
| 2017 | 0.53 | 1.25 |
| 2016 | 0.45 | 1.24 |
| 2015 | 0.45 | 1.21 |
| 2014 | 0.58 | 1.1 |
| 2013 | 0.81 | 1.06 |
| 2012 | 0.54 | 1.04 |
| 2011 | 0.47 | 1.1 |
| 2010 | 0.51 | 1.22 |
| 2009 | 0.67 | 1.33 |
| 2008 | 0.59 | 1.31 |
| 2007 | 0.54 | 1.37 |
| 2006 | 0.55 | 1.64 |
| 2005 | 0.74 | 1.74 |
| 2004 | 0.45 | 1.97 |
| 2003 | 0.29 | 2.45 |
| 2002 | 0.3 | 3.05 |
| 2001 | 0.3 | 3.4 |
| 2000 | 0.28 | 3.54 |
| 1999 | 0.33 | 4.45 |
| 1998 | 0.34 | 4.38 |
| 1997 | 0.41 | 4.17 |
| 1996 | 0.36 | 5.33 |
| 1995 | 0.32 | 0.61 |
| 1994 | 0.58 | 3.44 |
| 1993 | 0.51 | 4.54 |
| 1992 | 0.57 | 4.29 |
| 1991 | 0.44 | 5.51 |
| 1990 | 0.58 | 3.73 |
| 1989 | 0.61 | 1.75 |
| 1988 | 0.62 | 1.59 |
| 1987 | 0.76 | 1.68 |
| 1986 | 0.86 | 1.8 |
| 1985 | 0.72 | 1.59 |
| 1984 | 0.64 | 1.6 |
| 1983 | 0.74 | 1.9 |
| 1982 | 0.94 | 2 |
| 1981 | 1.27 | 2.04 |
| 1980 | 1.76 | 1.88 |
| 1979 | 4.07 | 1.75 |
| 1978 | 2.7 | 1.59 |
| 1977 | 1.69 | 2.15 |
| 1976 | 1.37 | 1.61 |
| 1975 | 1.53 | 1.63 |
| 1974 | 0.97 | 1.47 |
| 1973 | 1.06 | 1.89 |
| 1972 | 0.6 | – |
| 1971 | 0.58 | – |
| 1970 | 0.64 | – |
| 1969 | 0.67 | – |
| 1968 | 0.7 | – |
| 1967 | 0.72 | – |
| 1966 | 0.65 | – |
| 1965 | 0.7 | – |
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.
- 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
Malawi vs Rwanda
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023Rwanda: 67.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024Rwanda: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Rwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017Rwanda: 3.87% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Rwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023Rwanda: 14 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023Rwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023Rwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025Rwanda: 30.9% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023Rwanda: 19.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023Rwanda: 3.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Rwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025Rwanda: $194M in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025Rwanda: $13 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025Rwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalawi: 15,000 people in 2020Rwanda: 35,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Rwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020Rwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024Rwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023