North Macedonia vs Serbia
North Macedonia vs Serbia: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 5.1% of government spending in North Macedonia and 6.4% of government spending in Serbia, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Serbia, by 1.3 percentage points, or 1.25 times that in North Macedonia.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Serbia has been higher since 2009, when it overtook North Macedonia.
- In 2025, North Macedonia ranked 74 and Serbia ranked 52 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | North Macedonia | Serbia |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 5.1 | 6.4 |
| 2024 | 4.9 | 6.3 |
| 2023 | 5 | 5.4 |
| 2022 | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| 2021 | 4 | 6.1 |
| 2020 | 3.3 | 5 |
| 2019 | 3.8 | 5.4 |
| 2018 | 3.1 | 5.2 |
| 2017 | 2.8 | 4.6 |
| 2016 | 3.1 | 4.6 |
| 2015 | 3.1 | 4.1 |
| 2014 | 3.4 | 4.4 |
| 2013 | 3.7 | 4.6 |
| 2012 | 3.7 | 4.4 |
| 2011 | 4 | 4.8 |
| 2010 | 4.3 | 4.9 |
| 2009 | 5 | 5 |
| 2008 | 5.2 | 4.7 |
| 2007 | 6.2 | 5.3 |
| 2006 | 5.8 | 5.1 |
| 2005 | 6.2 | – |
| 2004 | 7 | – |
| 2003 | 6.5 | – |
| 2002 | 6.9 | – |
| 2001 | 16.3 | – |
| 2000 | 5.8 | – |
| 1999 | 5.2 | – |
| 1998 | 6.4 | – |
| 1997 | 6.5 | – |
- 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
North Macedonia vs Serbia
Health
- Life expectancyNorth Macedonia: 77.4 years in 2023Serbia: 76.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNorth Macedonia: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Serbia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNorth Macedonia: 4.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Serbia: 4.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNorth Macedonia: 80.5% in 2022Serbia: 75.1% in 2022
- DepressionNorth Macedonia: 2.33% in 2017Serbia: 2.57% in 2017
- Suicide rateNorth Macedonia: 6.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Serbia: 12.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNorth Macedonia: 1.83 million people in 2023Serbia: 6.77 million people in 2023
- Population growthNorth Macedonia: -0.47% a year in 2023Serbia: -0.44% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNorth Macedonia: 1.47 births per woman in 2023Serbia: 1.5 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNorth Macedonia: 62.9% in 2025Serbia: 62.6% in 2025
- Median ageNorth Macedonia: 40.3 years in 2023Serbia: 43.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNorth Macedonia: 17.5% in 2023Serbia: 22.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateNorth Macedonia: -3.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Serbia: 0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNorth Macedonia: 1.97% of GDP in 2025Serbia: 2.76% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNorth Macedonia: $346M in 2025Serbia: $2.55B in 2025
- Military spending per personNorth Macedonia: $206 in 2025Serbia: $414 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNorth Macedonia: 16,000 people in 2020Serbia: 32,000 people in 2020
- National powerNorth Macedonia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022Serbia: 0.09% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNorth Macedonia: 2% of the labour force in 2020Serbia: 1.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNorth Macedonia: 9 million TIV in 2025Serbia: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNorth Macedonia: 59 million TIV in 2023Serbia: 39 million TIV in 2025