New Zealand
Military spending in New Zealand
Military spending in New Zealand: 3.11% of GDP in 1956 and 1.1% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 1.1% of GDP
- Since 1956
- −2.01 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 103 of 151
- counting from the highest
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- The highest was 3.11% of GDP in 1956, the lowest 0.99% of GDP in 2015.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | New Zealand |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.1 |
| 2024 | 1.16 |
| 2023 | 1.2 |
| 2022 | 1.16 |
| 2021 | 1.17 |
| 2020 | 1.34 |
| 2019 | 1.29 |
| 2018 | 1.11 |
| 2017 | 1.05 |
| 2016 | 1.04 |
| 2015 | 0.99 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2013 | 1.04 |
| 2012 | 1.12 |
| 2011 | 1.16 |
| 2010 | 1.21 |
| 2009 | 1.22 |
| 2008 | 1.15 |
| 2007 | 1.18 |
| 2006 | 1.24 |
| 2005 | 1.14 |
| 2004 | 1.18 |
| 2003 | 1.33 |
| 2002 | 1.4 |
| 2001 | 1.5 |
| 2000 | 1.6 |
| 1999 | 1.65 |
| 1998 | 1.71 |
| 1997 | 1.72 |
| 1996 | 1.79 |
| 1995 | 1.84 |
| 1994 | 1.85 |
| 1993 | 1.94 |
| 1992 | 2.1 |
| 1991 | 2.28 |
| 1990 | 2.31 |
| 1989 | 2.18 |
| 1988 | 2.12 |
| 1987 | 2.41 |
| 1986 | 2.37 |
| 1985 | 2.37 |
| 1984 | 2.38 |
| 1983 | 2.44 |
| 1982 | 2.58 |
| 1981 | 2.73 |
| 1980 | 3.02 |
| 1979 | 2.16 |
| 1978 | 2.21 |
| 1977 | 2.12 |
| 1976 | 1.94 |
| 1975 | 2.09 |
| 1974 | 2.07 |
| 1973 | 1.97 |
| 1972 | 2.18 |
| 1971 | 2.32 |
| 1970 | 2.63 |
| 1969 | 2.57 |
| 1968 | 2.73 |
| 1967 | 2.62 |
| 1966 | 2.64 |
| 1965 | 2.36 |
| 1964 | 2.47 |
| 1963 | 2.2 |
| 1962 | 2.31 |
| 1961 | 2.49 |
| 1960 | 2.69 |
| 1959 | 2.82 |
| 1958 | 2.83 |
| 1957 | 2.86 |
| 1956 | 3.11 |
- 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
New Zealand in numbers
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Military
- Military spending in US dollars$2.89B in 2025
- Military spending per person$546 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.7% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel10,000 people in 2020
- National power0.07% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports200 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exports20 million TIV in 2023