Nepal vs Sri Lanka
Nepal vs Sri Lanka: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $429M in Nepal and $1.36B in Sri Lanka, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Sri Lanka, by $934M, or 3.18 times that in Nepal.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Sri Lanka has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1970.
- In 2025, Nepal ranked 104 and Sri Lanka ranked 72 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Nepal | Sri Lanka |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $429M | $1.36B |
| 2024 | $436M | $1.26B |
| 2023 | $471M | $1.2B |
| 2022 | $479M | $1.25B |
| 2021 | $478M | $1.74B |
| 2020 | $484M | $1.7B |
| 2019 | $471M | $1.82B |
| 2018 | $486M | $1.8B |
| 2017 | $496M | $1.97B |
| 2016 | $431M | $1.89B |
| 2015 | $406M | $2.16B |
| 2014 | $422M | $2.01B |
| 2013 | $374M | $1.71B |
| 2012 | $341M | $1.67B |
| 2011 | $359M | $1.85B |
| 2010 | $348M | $1.76B |
| 2009 | $331M | $1.89B |
| 2008 | $295M | $1.83B |
| 2007 | $280M | $1.6B |
| 2006 | $291M | $1.31B |
| 2005 | $309M | $1.13B |
| 2004 | $280M | $1.22B |
| 2003 | $234M | $1.1B |
| 2002 | $210M | $1.22B |
| 2001 | $158M | $1.47B |
| 2000 | $122M | $1.77B |
| 1999 | $111M | $1.32B |
| 1998 | $103M | $1.47B |
| 1997 | $101M | $1.4B |
| 1996 | $95.5M | $1.57B |
| 1995 | $96M | $1.69B |
| 1994 | $97.1M | $1B |
| 1993 | $97.7M | $862M |
| 1992 | $93.7M | $805M |
| 1991 | $90.2M | $718M |
| 1990 | $88M | $526M |
| 1989 | $84.4M | $386M |
| 1988 | $77.5M | $501M |
| 1987 | $75.1M | $724M |
| 1986 | $74M | $565M |
| 1985 | $74.4M | $647M |
| 1984 | $69.4M | $182M |
| 1983 | $62.8M | $161M |
| 1982 | $56.3M | $92M |
| 1981 | $50.5M | $101M |
| 1980 | $49.9M | $113M |
| 1979 | $49.3M | $123M |
| 1978 | $44.3M | $107M |
| 1977 | $43.6M | $86.8M |
| 1976 | $43.1M | $70.2M |
| 1975 | $32.6M | $76.3M |
| 1974 | $27M | $72M |
| 1973 | $27.2M | $68.9M |
| 1972 | $26.6M | $84.8M |
| 1971 | $26.1M | $95.5M |
| 1970 | $22.5M | $64.2M |
| 1969 | – | $51.2M |
| 1968 | – | $49.6M |
| 1967 | – | $47.1M |
| 1966 | – | $45.9M |
| 1965 | – | $43.4M |
| 1964 | – | $41.9M |
| 1963 | – | $43.2M |
| 1962 | – | $50.3M |
| 1961 | – | $55M |
| 1960 | – | $54.2M |
| 1959 | – | $53.8M |
| 1958 | – | $49.6M |
| 1957 | – | $35.2M |
| 1956 | – | $25.8M |
| 1955 | – | $21.5M |
| 1954 | – | $23.5M |
| 1953 | – | $14.8M |
| 1952 | – | $10.9M |
| 1951 | – | $8.31M |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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
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 per personNepal: $14 in 2025Sri Lanka: $60 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNepal: 4.5% of government spending in 2025Sri Lanka: 4.9% of government spending 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