Nigeria vs United Kingdom
Nigeria vs United Kingdom: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.91% of GDP in Nigeria and 2.35% of GDP in United Kingdom, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 1.44 percentage points, or 2.59 times that in Nigeria.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher since 1979, when it overtook Nigeria.
- In 2025, Nigeria ranked 115 and United Kingdom ranked 41 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Nigeria | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.91 | 2.35 |
| 2024 | 0.56 | 2.44 |
| 2023 | 0.84 | 2.15 |
| 2022 | 0.65 | 2.01 |
| 2021 | 1.01 | 2.04 |
| 2020 | 0.63 | 2.14 |
| 2019 | 0.46 | 1.97 |
| 2018 | 0.51 | 1.93 |
| 2017 | 0.43 | 1.94 |
| 2016 | 0.43 | 1.97 |
| 2015 | 0.42 | 2.04 |
| 2014 | 0.41 | 2.17 |
| 2013 | 0.47 | 2.28 |
| 2012 | 0.5 | 2.41 |
| 2011 | 0.58 | 2.49 |
| 2010 | 0.54 | 2.56 |
| 2009 | 0.51 | 2.64 |
| 2008 | 0.49 | 2.48 |
| 2007 | 0.37 | 2.37 |
| 2006 | 0.35 | 2.36 |
| 2005 | 0.4 | 2.42 |
| 2004 | 0.49 | 2.48 |
| 2003 | 0.57 | 2.54 |
| 2002 | 0.95 | 2.47 |
| 2001 | 0.78 | 2.39 |
| 2000 | 0.54 | 2.35 |
| 1999 | 0.86 | 2.41 |
| 1998 | 0.55 | 2.48 |
| 1997 | 0.44 | 2.54 |
| 1996 | 0.41 | 2.71 |
| 1995 | 0.48 | 2.84 |
| 1994 | 0.78 | 3.38 |
| 1993 | 0.93 | 3.59 |
| 1992 | 0.56 | 3.87 |
| 1991 | 0.77 | 4.12 |
| 1990 | 0.83 | 3.98 |
| 1989 | 0.58 | 4.04 |
| 1988 | 0.88 | 4.21 |
| 1987 | 0.77 | 4.69 |
| 1986 | 1.31 | 5.06 |
| 1985 | 1.44 | 5.32 |
| 1984 | 1.56 | 5.51 |
| 1983 | 2.22 | 5.4 |
| 1982 | 2.27 | 5.38 |
| 1981 | 2.77 | 4.98 |
| 1980 | 3.3 | 5.02 |
| 1979 | 4.32 | 4.68 |
| 1978 | 5.33 | 4.73 |
| 1977 | 6.02 | 4.92 |
| 1976 | 5.79 | 5.18 |
| 1975 | 8.12 | 5.34 |
| 1974 | 4.34 | 5.07 |
| 1973 | 5.48 | 4.91 |
| 1972 | 5.39 | 5.17 |
| 1971 | 4.39 | 5.08 |
| 1970 | 5.28 | 5.2 |
| 1969 | 10.32 | 5.5 |
| 1968 | 9.16 | 5.94 |
| 1967 | 5.81 | 6.24 |
| 1966 | 1.1 | 6.25 |
| 1965 | 1.4 | 6.44 |
| 1964 | 1.23 | 6.6 |
| 1963 | 1.1 | 6.8 |
| 1962 | 1.1 | 6.94 |
| 1961 | 0.85 | 6.92 |
| 1960 | 0.7 | 7.09 |
| 1959 | – | 7.29 |
| 1958 | – | 7.63 |
| 1957 | – | 7.99 |
| 1956 | – | 8.56 |
| 1955 | – | 9.09 |
| 1954 | – | 10.06 |
| 1953 | – | 10.96 |
| 1952 | – | 10.37 |
| 1951 | – | 8.3 |
| 1950 | – | 7.21 |
- 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
Nigeria vs United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancyNigeria: 54.5 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNigeria: 29% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionNigeria: 3.92% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateNigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNigeria: 228 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthNigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNigeria: 63.8% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageNigeria: 17.8 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNigeria: 3% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateNigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsNigeria: $1.76B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personNigeria: $9 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNigeria: 223,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerNigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025