Rwanda vs Uganda
Rwanda vs Uganda: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.29% of GDP in Rwanda and 1.96% of GDP in Uganda, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Uganda, by 0.67 percentage points, or 1.52 times that in Rwanda.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Uganda has been higher since 2019, when it overtook Rwanda.
- In 2025, Rwanda ranked 97 and Uganda ranked 64 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Rwanda | Uganda |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.29 | 1.96 |
| 2024 | 1.23 | 1.97 |
| 2023 | 1.25 | 1.88 |
| 2022 | 1.33 | 1.85 |
| 2021 | 1.51 | 2.34 |
| 2020 | 1.47 | 2.47 |
| 2019 | 1.2 | 1.72 |
| 2018 | 1.24 | 1.15 |
| 2017 | 1.25 | 1.04 |
| 2016 | 1.24 | 1 |
| 2015 | 1.21 | 0.99 |
| 2014 | 1.1 | 0.92 |
| 2013 | 1.06 | 0.94 |
| 2012 | 1.04 | 1.18 |
| 2011 | 1.1 | 2.54 |
| 2010 | 1.22 | 2.46 |
| 2009 | 1.33 | 1.43 |
| 2008 | 1.31 | 1.35 |
| 2007 | 1.37 | 1.39 |
| 2006 | 1.64 | 1.5 |
| 2005 | 1.74 | 1.68 |
| 2004 | 1.97 | 1.77 |
| 2003 | 2.45 | 1.69 |
| 2002 | 3.05 | 1.64 |
| 2001 | 3.4 | 1.68 |
| 2000 | 3.54 | 1.77 |
| 1999 | 4.45 | 2.66 |
| 1998 | 4.38 | 2.44 |
| 1997 | 4.17 | 2.12 |
| 1996 | 5.33 | 2.21 |
| 1995 | 0.61 | 2.1 |
| 1994 | 3.44 | 2.02 |
| 1993 | 4.54 | 1.93 |
| 1992 | 4.29 | 1.66 |
| 1991 | 5.51 | 2.51 |
| 1990 | 3.73 | 2.97 |
| 1989 | 1.75 | 2.73 |
| 1988 | 1.59 | 2.46 |
| 1987 | 1.68 | 2.59 |
| 1986 | 1.8 | 2.91 |
| 1985 | 1.59 | 2.66 |
| 1984 | 1.6 | 2.63 |
| 1983 | 1.9 | 2.22 |
| 1982 | 2 | 1.98 |
| 1981 | 2.04 | 1.89 |
| 1980 | 1.88 | 2.22 |
| 1979 | 1.75 | 1.69 |
| 1978 | 1.59 | 1.97 |
| 1977 | 2.15 | 2.04 |
| 1976 | 1.61 | 3.19 |
| 1975 | 1.63 | 2.82 |
| 1974 | 1.47 | 3.63 |
| 1973 | 1.89 | 3.5 |
| 1972 | – | 4.06 |
| 1971 | – | 3.47 |
| 1970 | – | 1.97 |
| 1969 | – | 1.83 |
| 1968 | – | 1.79 |
| 1967 | – | 1.62 |
| 1966 | – | 1.44 |
| 1965 | – | 1.13 |
| 1964 | – | 0.65 |
| 1963 | – | 0.37 |
| 1962 | – | 0.11 |
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.
- 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
Rwanda vs Uganda
Health
- Life expectancyRwanda: 67.8 years in 2023Uganda: 68.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRwanda: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024Uganda: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Uganda: 28.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionRwanda: 3.87% in 2017Uganda: 4.92% in 2017
- Suicide rateRwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017Uganda: 11.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRwanda: 14 million people in 2023Uganda: 48.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthRwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023Uganda: 2.78% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023Uganda: 4.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRwanda: 30.9% in 2025Uganda: 31.9% in 2025
- Median ageRwanda: 19.4 years in 2023Uganda: 16.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRwanda: 3.8% in 2023Uganda: 2.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateRwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Uganda: -2.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsRwanda: $194M in 2025Uganda: $1.2B in 2025
- Military spending per personRwanda: $13 in 2025Uganda: $26 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingRwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025Uganda: 9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelRwanda: 35,000 people in 2020Uganda: 46,000 people in 2020
- National powerRwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Uganda: 0.2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020Uganda: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023Uganda: 2 million TIV in 2025