Malaysia
Military spending in Malaysia
Military spending in Malaysia: 3.75% of GDP in 1957 and 1.04% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 1.04% of GDP
- Since 1957
- −2.71 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 110 of 151
- counting from the highest
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- The highest was 5.79% of GDP in 1981, the lowest 0.89% of GDP in 2019.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Malaysia |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.04 |
| 2024 | 1.04 |
| 2023 | 0.98 |
| 2022 | 0.9 |
| 2021 | 0.98 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2019 | 0.89 |
| 2018 | 0.96 |
| 2017 | 1.1 |
| 2016 | 1.38 |
| 2015 | 1.5 |
| 2014 | 1.46 |
| 2013 | 1.5 |
| 2012 | 1.41 |
| 2011 | 1.55 |
| 2010 | 1.49 |
| 2009 | 1.87 |
| 2008 | 1.83 |
| 2007 | 1.96 |
| 2006 | 2.01 |
| 2005 | 2.17 |
| 2004 | 2.26 |
| 2003 | 2.62 |
| 2002 | 2.22 |
| 2001 | 2.09 |
| 2000 | 1.64 |
| 1999 | 2.1 |
| 1998 | 1.61 |
| 1997 | 2.09 |
| 1996 | 2.4 |
| 1995 | 2.75 |
| 1994 | 2.85 |
| 1993 | 2.88 |
| 1992 | 2.99 |
| 1991 | 3.2 |
| 1990 | 2.56 |
| 1989 | 2.62 |
| 1988 | 2.43 |
| 1987 | 4.15 |
| 1986 | 3.22 |
| 1985 | 3.45 |
| 1984 | 3.75 |
| 1983 | 4.42 |
| 1982 | 5.37 |
| 1981 | 5.79 |
| 1980 | 4.23 |
| 1979 | 3.67 |
| 1978 | 3.71 |
| 1977 | 4.86 |
| 1976 | 3.98 |
| 1975 | 4.72 |
| 1974 | 4.18 |
| 1973 | 3.87 |
| 1972 | 4.98 |
| 1971 | 5.37 |
| 1970 | 5.17 |
| 1969 | 3.92 |
| 1968 | 4.45 |
| 1967 | 4.5 |
| 1966 | 4.73 |
| 1965 | 4.01 |
| 1964 | 3.16 |
| 1963 | 2.42 |
| 1962 | 2.19 |
| 1961 | 2.23 |
| 1960 | 2.68 |
| 1959 | 3.08 |
| 1958 | 4.07 |
| 1957 | 3.75 |
- Estimate
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
Malaysia in numbers
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Military
- Military spending in US dollars$4.55B in 2025
- Military spending per person$138 in 2025
- Military share of state spending4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel136,000 people in 2020
- National power0.46% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.81% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports7 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exports20 million TIV in 2024