Malawi vs Tanzania: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 1.15% of GDP in Malawi and 1.16% of GDP in Tanzania, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Tanzania, by 0.01 percentage points, or 1.01 times that in Malawi.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

MalawiTanzaniaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

Tanzania has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1967.
In 2025, Malawi ranked 102 and Tanzania ranked 101 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Malawi	Tanzania
2025	1.15	1.16
2024	1.06	1.17
2023	1.17	1.23
2022	0.93	1.19
2021	0.73	1.12
2020	0.83	1.08
2019	0.76	1.06
2018	0.59	1.1
2017	0.53	1.06
2016	0.45	1.09
2015	0.45	1.09
2014	0.58	1.02
2013	0.81	0.97
2012	0.54	0.91
2011	0.47	0.9
2010	0.51	0.9
2009	0.67	0.76
2008	0.59	0.7
2007	0.54	0.76
2006	0.55	0.79
2005	0.74	0.82
2004	0.45	0.99
2003	0.29	1.07
2002	0.3	1.3
2001	0.3	1.45
2000	0.28	1.49
1999	0.33	1.49
1998	0.34	1.6
1997	0.41	1.54
1996	0.36	1.56
1995	0.32	1.63
1994	0.58	1.29
1993	0.51	1.38
1992	0.57	2.11
1991	0.44	2.18
1990	0.58	2.05
1989	0.61	2.38
1988	0.62	2.45
1987	0.76	3.15
1986	0.86	5.75
1985	0.72	5.39
1984	0.64	5.25
1983	0.74	5.41
1982	0.94	5.5
1981	1.27	5.58
1980	1.76	4.52
1979	4.07	8.5
1978	2.7	10.11
1977	1.69	5.48
1976	1.37	4.69
1975	1.53	5.36
1974	0.97	5.36
1973	1.06	4.18
1972	0.6	3.43
1971	0.58	3.1
1970	0.64	2.3
1969	0.67	1.74
1968	0.7	1.47
1967	0.72	1.42
1966	0.65	–
1965	0.7	–

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

Malawi vs Tanzania: Military spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

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