Nigeria
Military spending in Nigeria
Military spending in Nigeria: 0.7% of GDP in 1960 and 0.91% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 0.91% of GDP
- Since 1960
- +0.21 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 115 of 151
- counting from the highest
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- The highest was 10.32% of GDP in 1969, the lowest 0.35% of GDP in 2006.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Nigeria |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.91 |
| 2024 | 0.56 |
| 2023 | 0.84 |
| 2022 | 0.65 |
| 2021 | 1.01 |
| 2020 | 0.63 |
| 2019 | 0.46 |
| 2018 | 0.51 |
| 2017 | 0.43 |
| 2016 | 0.43 |
| 2015 | 0.42 |
| 2014 | 0.41 |
| 2013 | 0.47 |
| 2012 | 0.5 |
| 2011 | 0.58 |
| 2010 | 0.54 |
| 2009 | 0.51 |
| 2008 | 0.49 |
| 2007 | 0.37 |
| 2006 | 0.35 |
| 2005 | 0.4 |
| 2004 | 0.49 |
| 2003 | 0.57 |
| 2002 | 0.95 |
| 2001 | 0.78 |
| 2000 | 0.54 |
| 1999 | 0.86 |
| 1998 | 0.55 |
| 1997 | 0.44 |
| 1996 | 0.41 |
| 1995 | 0.48 |
| 1994 | 0.78 |
| 1993 | 0.93 |
| 1992 | 0.56 |
| 1991 | 0.77 |
| 1990 | 0.83 |
| 1989 | 0.58 |
| 1988 | 0.88 |
| 1987 | 0.77 |
| 1986 | 1.31 |
| 1985 | 1.44 |
| 1984 | 1.56 |
| 1983 | 2.22 |
| 1982 | 2.27 |
| 1981 | 2.77 |
| 1980 | 3.3 |
| 1979 | 4.32 |
| 1978 | 5.33 |
| 1977 | 6.02 |
| 1976 | 5.79 |
| 1975 | 8.12 |
| 1974 | 4.34 |
| 1973 | 5.48 |
| 1972 | 5.39 |
| 1971 | 4.39 |
| 1970 | 5.28 |
| 1969 | 10.32 |
| 1968 | 9.16 |
| 1967 | 5.81 |
| 1966 | 1.1 |
| 1965 | 1.4 |
| 1964 | 1.23 |
| 1963 | 1.1 |
| 1962 | 1.1 |
| 1961 | 0.85 |
| 1960 | 0.7 |
- 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
Nigeria in numbers
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Military
- Military spending in US dollars$1.76B in 2025
- Military spending per person$9 in 2025
- Military share of state spending5.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnel223,000 people in 2020
- National power1.16% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.23% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports21 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports4 million TIV in 2022