Ethiopia
Military spending in Ethiopia
Military spending in Ethiopia: 1.86% of GDP in 1961 and 0.49% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 0.49% of GDP
- Since 1961
- −1.36 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 140 of 151
- counting from the highest
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- The highest was 10.28% of GDP in 1989, the lowest 0.44% of GDP in 2021.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Ethiopia |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.49 |
| 2024 | 0.49 |
| 2023 | 0.77 |
| 2022 | 0.86 |
| 2021 | 0.44 |
| 2020 | 0.47 |
| 2019 | 0.56 |
| 2018 | 0.63 |
| 2017 | 0.68 |
| 2016 | 0.68 |
| 2015 | 0.67 |
| 2014 | 0.73 |
| 2013 | 0.81 |
| 2012 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 1.06 |
| 2010 | 1.11 |
| 2009 | 1.21 |
| 2008 | 1.53 |
| 2007 | 1.91 |
| 2006 | 2.31 |
| 2005 | 2.81 |
| 2004 | 3.13 |
| 2003 | 3.3 |
| 2002 | 3.76 |
| 2001 | 4.39 |
| 2000 | 7.69 |
| 1999 | 9.51 |
| 1998 | 7.28 |
| 1997 | 3.34 |
| 1996 | 2.12 |
| 1995 | 2.23 |
| 1994 | 2.87 |
| 1993 | 3.07 |
| 1992 | 3.44 |
| 1991 | 5.71 |
| 1990 | 9.66 |
| 1989 | 10.28 |
| 1988 | 8.5 |
| 1987 | 6.86 |
| 1986 | 6.7 |
| 1985 | 6.82 |
| 1984 | 7.97 |
| 1983 | 7.18 |
| 1982 | 7.54 |
| 1981 | 7.54 |
| 1980 | 8.71 |
| 1979 | 6.89 |
| 1978 | 4.81 |
| 1977 | 3.97 |
| 1976 | 4.13 |
| 1975 | 4.49 |
| 1974 | 2.8 |
| 1973 | 1.93 |
| 1972 | 1.94 |
| 1971 | 1.91 |
| 1970 | 1.88 |
| 1969 | 2.02 |
| 1968 | 2.2 |
| 1967 | 2.49 |
| 1966 | 3.11 |
| 1965 | 3.23 |
| 1964 | 2.92 |
| 1963 | 2.43 |
| 1962 | 1.93 |
| 1961 | 1.86 |
- Estimate
- Highly uncertain
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
Ethiopia in numbers
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Military
- Military spending in US dollars$785M in 2025
- Military spending per person$4 in 2025
- Military share of state spending4.1% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel138,000 people in 2020
- National power0.85% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.28% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports63 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports17 million TIV in 1997