Nepal vs Sri Lanka: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 0.97% of GDP in Nepal and 1.31% of GDP in Sri Lanka, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sri Lanka, by 0.35 percentage points, or 1.36 times that in Nepal.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

NepalSri LankaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

Sri Lanka has been higher since 1985, when it overtook Nepal.
In 2025, Nepal ranked 113 and Sri Lanka ranked 94 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Nepal	Sri Lanka
2025	0.97	1.31
2024	1.03	1.28
2023	1.12	1.32
2022	1.15	1.35
2021	1.22	1.72
2020	1.32	1.76
2019	1.24	1.76
2018	1.35	1.74
2017	1.49	1.98
2016	1.47	1.98
2015	1.37	2.42
2014	1.43	2.41
2013	1.34	2.15
2012	1.24	2.16
2011	1.35	2.69
2010	1.37	2.7
2009	1.44	3.16
2008	1.4	3.24
2007	1.35	3.26
2006	1.53	2.8
2005	1.69	2.64
2004	1.57	3
2003	1.39	2.87
2002	1.27	3.34
2001	0.96	4.29
2000	0.78	5.03
1999	0.77	4.03
1998	0.76	4.64
1997	0.72	4.63
1996	0.73	5.52
1995	0.77	5.86
1994	0.79	3.73
1993	0.84	3.43
1992	0.86	3.37
1991	0.87	3.08
1990	0.88	2.33
1989	0.9	1.8
1988	0.88	2.37
1987	1.16	3.39
1986	1.18	2.7
1985	1.2	3.16
1984	1.22	0.92
1983	1.25	0.89
1982	1.09	0.54
1981	0.99	0.63
1980	1.03	0.77
1979	0.91	0.83
1978	0.86	0.8
1977	0.89	0.68
1976	0.86	0.66
1975	0.68	0.8
1974	0.61	0.8
1973	0.66	0.87
1972	0.65	1.19
1971	0.62	1.36
1970	0.59	0.92
1969	–	0.81
1968	–	0.79
1967	–	0.85
1966	–	0.87
1965	–	0.85
1964	–	0.85
1963	–	0.9
1962	–	1.08
1961	–	1.18
1960	–	1.18
1959	–	1.23
1958	–	1.24
1957	–	0.91
1956	–	0.68
1955	–	0.55
1954	–	0.67
1953	–	0.45
1952	–	0.34
1951	–	0.25

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

Nepal vs Sri Lanka: Military spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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