Singapore vs United Arab Emirates
Singapore vs United Arab Emirates: Military spending
Military spending: 3.05% of GDP in Singapore in 2025 and 5.64% of GDP in United Arab Emirates in 2014, by SIPRI estimates. In 2014 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 2.6 percentage points, or 1.85 times that in Singapore.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Arab Emirates has been higher since 2009, when it overtook Singapore.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Singapore | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.05 | – |
| 2024 | 2.8 | – |
| 2023 | 2.77 | – |
| 2022 | 2.36 | – |
| 2021 | 2.52 | – |
| 2020 | 2.81 | – |
| 2019 | 2.77 | – |
| 2018 | 2.81 | – |
| 2017 | 2.97 | – |
| 2016 | 3.09 | – |
| 2015 | 3.05 | – |
| 2014 | 3.05 | 5.64 |
| 2013 | 3.04 | 6.04 |
| 2012 | 3.11 | 5.08 |
| 2011 | 3.19 | 5.47 |
| 2010 | 3.38 | 6.04 |
| 2009 | 3.88 | 5.46 |
| 2008 | 3.85 | 3.67 |
| 2007 | 3.6 | 3.28 |
| 2006 | 3.92 | 3.23 |
| 2005 | 4.28 | 3.66 |
| 2004 | 4.38 | 4.61 |
| 2003 | 4.84 | 4.69 |
| 2002 | 4.89 | 4.88 |
| 2001 | 4.8 | 5.61 |
| 2000 | 4.51 | 8.32 |
| 1999 | 5.21 | 7.67 |
| 1998 | 5.21 | 8.63 |
| 1997 | 4.45 | 6.76 |
| 1996 | 4.26 | – |
| 1995 | 4.18 | – |
| 1994 | 3.79 | – |
| 1993 | 4.09 | – |
| 1992 | 4.47 | – |
| 1991 | 4.45 | – |
| 1990 | 4.63 | – |
| 1989 | 4.49 | – |
| 1988 | 4.55 | – |
| 1987 | 4.87 | – |
| 1986 | 5.44 | – |
| 1985 | 5.66 | – |
| 1984 | 4.7 | – |
| 1983 | 4.07 | – |
| 1982 | 4.65 | – |
| 1981 | 4.74 | – |
| 1980 | 4.64 | – |
| 1979 | 4.65 | – |
| 1978 | 5.2 | – |
| 1977 | 5.68 | – |
| 1976 | 5.04 | – |
| 1975 | 4.65 | – |
| 1974 | 4.29 | – |
| 1973 | 4.71 | – |
| 1972 | 5.09 | – |
| 1971 | 5.64 | – |
| 1970 | 5.4 | – |
- 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
Singapore vs United Arab Emirates
Health
- Life expectancySingapore: 83.7 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 82.9 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySingapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024United Arab Emirates: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySingapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Arab Emirates: 4.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSingapore: 3.44% in 2017United Arab Emirates: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateSingapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017United Arab Emirates: 5.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSingapore: 5.79 million people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 10.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthSingapore: 0.81% a year in 2023United Arab Emirates: 3.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSingapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.2 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSingapore: 100% in 2025United Arab Emirates: 86% in 2025
- Median ageSingapore: 35.1 years in 2023United Arab Emirates: 31.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSingapore: 13.1% in 2023United Arab Emirates: 1.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateSingapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023United Arab Emirates: 28.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSingapore: $70,680 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $41,610 in 2024
- GDP growthSingapore: 5% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 6.2% a year in 2025
- InflationSingapore: 0.9% a year in 2025United Arab Emirates: 1.3% a year in 2025
- Government debtSingapore: 165.8% of GDP in 2024United Arab Emirates: 33.9% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsSingapore: $16.9B in 2025United Arab Emirates: $27.8B in 2014
- Military spending per personSingapore: $2,980 in 2025United Arab Emirates: $2,840 in 2014
- Military share of state spendingSingapore: 18% of government spending in 2025United Arab Emirates: 17% of government spending in 2014
- Armed forces personnelSingapore: 59,000 people in 2020United Arab Emirates: 63,000 people in 2020
- National powerSingapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022United Arab Emirates: 0.47% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSingapore: 1.72% of the labour force in 2020United Arab Emirates: 1.02% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSingapore: 57 million TIV in 2025United Arab Emirates: 868 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSingapore: 79 million TIV in 2025United Arab Emirates: 33 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
- CO₂ per personSingapore: 9.75 tonnes in 2024United Arab Emirates: 18.26 tonnes in 2024
- Internet usersSingapore: 94.4% in 2024United Arab Emirates: 100% in 2024
- Access to electricitySingapore: 100% in 2024United Arab Emirates: 100% in 2024
- Forest areaSingapore: 21.8% in 2024United Arab Emirates: 4.6% in 2024