Malawi vs Somalia: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.15% of GDP in Malawi and 1.54% of GDP in Somalia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Somalia, by 0.4 percentage points, or 1.35 times that in Malawi.
MalawiSomalia
Watch it change on the map% of GDP · SIPRI · log scale
Latest figures
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Malawi | 1.15 2025 | 0.45 | 102 of 151 |
| Somalia | 1.54 2025 | 0.68 | 83 of 151 |
What the numbers say
- Somalia has been higher since 2014, when it overtook Malawi.
- In 2025, Malawi ranked 102 and Somalia ranked 83 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Malawi | Somalia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.15 | 1.54 |
| 2024 | 1.06 | 1.66 |
| 2023 | 1.17 | 1.27 |
| 2022 | 0.93 | 1.16 |
| 2021 | 0.73 | 1.17 |
| 2020 | 0.83 | 1.14 |
| 2019 | 0.76 | 0.83 |
| 2018 | 0.59 | 0.97 |
| 2017 | 0.53 | 0.75 |
| 2016 | 0.45 | 0.65 |
| 2015 | 0.45 | 0.68 |
| 2014 | 0.58 | 0.94 |
| 2013 | 0.81 | 0.44 |
| 2012 | 0.54 | – |
| 2011 | 0.47 | – |
| 2010 | 0.51 | – |
| 2009 | 0.67 | – |
| 2008 | 0.59 | – |
| 2007 | 0.54 | – |
| 2006 | 0.55 | – |
| 2005 | 0.74 | – |
| 2004 | 0.45 | – |
| 2003 | 0.29 | – |
| 2002 | 0.3 | – |
| 2001 | 0.3 | – |
| 2000 | 0.28 | – |
| 1999 | 0.33 | – |
| 1998 | 0.34 | – |
| 1997 | 0.41 | – |
| 1996 | 0.36 | – |
| 1995 | 0.32 | – |
| 1994 | 0.58 | – |
| 1993 | 0.51 | – |
| 1992 | 0.57 | – |
| 1991 | 0.44 | – |
| 1990 | 0.58 | – |
| 1989 | 0.61 | 1.53 |
| 1988 | 0.62 | 17.44 |
| 1987 | 0.76 | 16.96 |
| 1986 | 0.86 | 28.95 |
| 1985 | 0.72 | 0.05 |
| 1984 | 0.64 | 0.14 |
| 1983 | 0.74 | 0.24 |
| 1982 | 0.94 | 0.29 |
| 1981 | 1.27 | 0.61 |
| 1980 | 1.76 | 0.55 |
| 1979 | 4.07 | 0.97 |
| 1978 | 2.7 | 1 |
| 1977 | 1.69 | 0.46 |
| 1976 | 1.37 | 0.52 |
| 1975 | 1.53 | 0.52 |
| 1974 | 0.97 | 0.73 |
| 1973 | 1.06 | 0.51 |
| 1972 | 0.6 | 0.45 |
| 1971 | 0.58 | 0.48 |
| 1970 | 0.64 | 0.5 |
| 1969 | 0.67 | 0.42 |
| 1968 | 0.7 | 0.41 |
| 1967 | 0.72 | 0.39 |
| 1966 | 0.65 | 0.35 |
| 1965 | 0.7 | 0.3 |
| 1964 | – | 0.33 |
| 1963 | – | 0.29 |
| 1962 | – | 0.25 |
| 1961 | – | 0.23 |
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