Nepal vs Sri Lanka
Nepal vs Sri Lanka: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 4.5% of government spending in Nepal and 4.9% of government spending in Sri Lanka, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sri Lanka, by 0.4 percentage points, or 1.1 times that in Nepal.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Sri Lanka has been higher since 2007, when it overtook Nepal.
- In 2025, Nepal ranked 89 and Sri Lanka ranked 77 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Nepal | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 4.5 | 4.9 |
| 2024 | 4.6 | 6.6 |
| 2023 | 4.5 | 6.8 |
| 2022 | 4.4 | 7.3 |
| 2021 | 4.5 | 8.6 |
| 2020 | 4.8 | 8.4 |
| 2019 | 4.5 | 9 |
| 2018 | 4.8 | 9.9 |
| 2017 | 6.3 | 11.1 |
| 2016 | 7.7 | 10.9 |
| 2015 | 7.7 | 12.5 |
| 2014 | 8.6 | 13.5 |
| 2013 | 8.7 | 12.5 |
| 2012 | 7.4 | 12.1 |
| 2011 | 8.3 | 13.5 |
| 2010 | 8.3 | 13.5 |
| 2009 | 8.5 | 14.6 |
| 2008 | 10.5 | 16.4 |
| 2007 | 10.4 | 13.9 |
| 2006 | 13.7 | 11.5 |
| 2005 | 14 | 11.1 |
| 2004 | 13.3 | 13.2 |
| 2003 | 11.7 | 12.5 |
| 2002 | 9.8 | 13.6 |
| 2001 | 7.5 | 15.6 |
| 2000 | 6.9 | 18.9 |
| 1999 | – | 16.1 |
| 1998 | – | 17.8 |
| 1997 | – | 17.7 |
| 1996 | – | 19.5 |
| 1995 | – | 19.3 |
| 1994 | – | 12.7 |
| 1993 | – | 12.1 |
| 1992 | – | 12 |
| 1991 | – | 9.5 |
| 1990 | – | 7.5 |
- Estimate
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.
- 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 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
Nepal vs Sri Lanka
Health
- Life expectancyNepal: 70.4 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 77.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNepal: 2.5 per 100 live births in 2024Sri Lanka: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNepal: 21.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sri Lanka: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNepal: 16.1% in 2022Sri Lanka: 47.1% in 2022
- DepressionNepal: 3.61% in 2017Sri Lanka: 3.44% in 2017
- Suicide rateNepal: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Sri Lanka: 19.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNepal: 29.7 million people in 2023Sri Lanka: 23 million people in 2023
- Population growthNepal: -0.14% a year in 2023Sri Lanka: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNepal: 1.98 births per woman in 2023Sri Lanka: 1.97 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNepal: 67% in 2025Sri Lanka: 20.5% in 2025
- Median ageNepal: 24.7 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 32.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNepal: 6.4% in 2023Sri Lanka: 11.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateNepal: -13.8 per 1,000 people in 2023Sri Lanka: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNepal: 0.97% of GDP in 2025Sri Lanka: 1.31% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNepal: $429M in 2025Sri Lanka: $1.36B in 2025
- Military spending per personNepal: $14 in 2025Sri Lanka: $60 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNepal: 112,000 people in 2020Sri Lanka: 317,000 people in 2020
- National powerNepal: 0.18% of world capability in 2022Sri Lanka: 0.31% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNepal: 1.4% of the labour force in 2020Sri Lanka: 3.74% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNepal: 6 million TIV in 2025Sri Lanka: 11 million TIV in 2025