Malaysia vs Vietnam
Malaysia vs Vietnam: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.04% of GDP in Malaysia and 2.15% of GDP in Vietnam, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 1.12 percentage points, or 2.08 times that in Malaysia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher since 2007, when it overtook Malaysia.
- In 2025, Malaysia ranked 110 and Vietnam ranked 49 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Malaysia | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.04 | 2.15 |
| 2024 | 1.04 | 1.8 |
| 2023 | 0.98 | 1.83 |
| 2022 | 0.9 | 1.72 |
| 2021 | 0.98 | 2.05 |
| 2020 | 1 | 2.07 |
| 2019 | 0.89 | 2.17 |
| 2018 | 0.96 | 2.22 |
| 2017 | 1.1 | 2.28 |
| 2016 | 1.38 | 2.46 |
| 2015 | 1.5 | 2.56 |
| 2014 | 1.46 | 2.41 |
| 2013 | 1.5 | 2.58 |
| 2012 | 1.41 | 2.42 |
| 2011 | 1.55 | 1.76 |
| 2010 | 1.49 | 1.84 |
| 2009 | 1.87 | 2.73 |
| 2008 | 1.83 | 2.07 |
| 2007 | 1.96 | 2.31 |
| 2006 | 2.01 | 1.94 |
| 2005 | 2.17 | 1.78 |
| 2004 | 2.26 | 2.01 |
| 2003 | 2.62 | 2.13 |
| 2002 | 2.22 | – |
| 2001 | 2.09 | – |
| 2000 | 1.64 | – |
| 1999 | 2.1 | – |
| 1998 | 1.61 | – |
| 1997 | 2.09 | – |
| 1996 | 2.4 | – |
| 1995 | 2.75 | – |
| 1994 | 2.85 | 2.65 |
| 1993 | 2.88 | 2.26 |
| 1992 | 2.99 | 3.38 |
| 1991 | 3.2 | 5.6 |
| 1990 | 2.56 | 7.91 |
| 1989 | 2.62 | 7.29 |
| 1988 | 2.43 | 7.1 |
| 1987 | 4.15 | 3.95 |
| 1986 | 3.22 | – |
| 1985 | 3.45 | – |
| 1984 | 3.75 | – |
| 1983 | 4.42 | – |
| 1982 | 5.37 | – |
| 1981 | 5.79 | – |
| 1980 | 4.23 | – |
| 1979 | 3.67 | – |
| 1978 | 3.71 | – |
| 1977 | 4.86 | – |
| 1976 | 3.98 | – |
| 1975 | 4.72 | – |
| 1974 | 4.18 | – |
| 1973 | 3.87 | – |
| 1972 | 4.98 | – |
| 1971 | 5.37 | – |
| 1970 | 5.17 | – |
| 1969 | 3.92 | – |
| 1968 | 4.45 | – |
| 1967 | 4.5 | – |
| 1966 | 4.73 | – |
| 1965 | 4.01 | – |
| 1964 | 3.16 | – |
| 1963 | 2.42 | – |
| 1962 | 2.19 | – |
| 1961 | 2.23 | – |
| 1960 | 2.68 | – |
| 1959 | 3.08 | – |
| 1958 | 4.07 | – |
| 1957 | 3.75 | – |
- 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
Malaysia vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyMalaysia: 76.7 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalaysia: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalaysia: 6.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMalaysia: 93.9% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionMalaysia: 3.52% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalaysia: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalaysia: 35.1 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalaysia: 1.24% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalaysia: 1.55 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalaysia: 77.4% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageMalaysia: 30.1 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalaysia: 7.5% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalaysia: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsMalaysia: $4.55B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personMalaysia: $138 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalaysia: 4.4% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelMalaysia: 136,000 people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerMalaysia: 0.46% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalaysia: 0.81% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalaysia: 7 million TIV in 2024Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMalaysia: 20 million TIV in 2024Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018