Norway vs Sweden
Norway vs Sweden: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 6.7% of government spending in Norway and 5% of government spending in Sweden, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Norway, by 1.7 percentage points, or 1.33 times that in Sweden.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Norway has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1988.
- In 2025, Norway ranked 48 and Sweden ranked 76 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Norway | Sweden |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 6.7 | 5 |
| 2024 | 4.6 | 4 |
| 2023 | 4 | 3.1 |
| 2022 | 3.9 | 2.8 |
| 2021 | 3.6 | 2.4 |
| 2020 | 3.5 | 2.2 |
| 2019 | 3.7 | 2.3 |
| 2018 | 3.6 | 2.1 |
| 2017 | 3.5 | 2.1 |
| 2016 | 3.2 | 2.2 |
| 2015 | 3.1 | 2.2 |
| 2014 | 3.2 | 2.3 |
| 2013 | 3.2 | 2.2 |
| 2012 | 3.3 | 2.3 |
| 2011 | 3.3 | 2.3 |
| 2010 | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| 2009 | 3.5 | 2.3 |
| 2008 | 3.4 | 2.4 |
| 2007 | 3.6 | 2.7 |
| 2006 | 3.6 | 2.6 |
| 2005 | 3.8 | 2.7 |
| 2004 | 4.1 | 2.8 |
| 2003 | 4.1 | 3 |
| 2002 | 4.5 | 3.1 |
| 2001 | 3.9 | 3.3 |
| 2000 | 4.1 | 3.5 |
| 1999 | 4.4 | 3.4 |
| 1998 | 4.5 | 3.4 |
| 1997 | 4.4 | 3.4 |
| 1996 | 4.6 | 3.5 |
| 1995 | 4.7 | 3.5 |
| 1994 | 5.4 | 3.5 |
| 1993 | 5.2 | 3.5 |
| 1992 | 5.7 | 3.4 |
| 1991 | 5.4 | 3.7 |
| 1990 | 5.8 | 4.1 |
| 1989 | 5.9 | 4.1 |
| 1988 | 5.9 | 4.2 |
- 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
Norway vs Sweden
Health
- Life expectancyNorway: 83.3 years in 2023Sweden: 83.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNorway: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Sweden: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNorway: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sweden: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNorway: 98.8% in 2022Sweden: 99.7% in 2022
- DepressionNorway: 3.77% in 2017Sweden: 4.49% in 2017
- Suicide rateNorway: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017Sweden: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNorway: 5.52 million people in 2023Sweden: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthNorway: 1.11% a year in 2023Sweden: 0.56% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNorway: 1.41 births per woman in 2023Sweden: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNorway: 83.6% in 2025Sweden: 89.1% in 2025
- Median ageNorway: 39.5 years in 2023Sweden: 39.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNorway: 18.5% in 2023Sweden: 20.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateNorway: 9.7 per 1,000 people in 2023Sweden: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNorway: 3.28% of GDP in 2025Sweden: 2.47% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNorway: $16.1B in 2025Sweden: $15B in 2025
- Military spending per personNorway: $3,040 in 2025Sweden: $1,549 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelNorway: 25,000 people in 2020Sweden: 15,000 people in 2020
- National powerNorway: 0.14% of world capability in 2022Sweden: 0.19% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNorway: 0.85% of the labour force in 2020Sweden: 0.27% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNorway: 407 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNorway: 415 million TIV in 2025Sweden: 235 million TIV in 2025