Military spending in Sri Lanka

Military spending in Sri Lanka: 0.25% of GDP in 1951 and 1.31% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.

Latest, 2025: 1.31% of GDP
Since 1951: +1.07 percentage points
Rank, 2025: 94 of 151; counting from the highest

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

Estimates, SIPRISIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

The highest was 5.86% of GDP in 1995, the lowest 0.25% of GDP in 1951.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Sri Lanka
2025	1.31
2024	1.28
2023	1.32
2022	1.35
2021	1.72
2020	1.76
2019	1.76
2018	1.74
2017	1.98
2016	1.98
2015	2.42
2014	2.41
2013	2.15
2012	2.16
2011	2.69
2010	2.7
2009	3.16
2008	3.24
2007	3.26
2006	2.8
2005	2.64
2004	3
2003	2.87
2002	3.34
2001	4.29
2000	5.03
1999	4.03
1998	4.64
1997	4.63
1996	5.52
1995	5.86
1994	3.73
1993	3.43
1992	3.37
1991	3.08
1990	2.33
1989	1.8
1988	2.37
1987	3.39
1986	2.7
1985	3.16
1984	0.92
1983	0.89
1982	0.54
1981	0.63
1980	0.77
1979	0.83
1978	0.8
1977	0.68
1976	0.66
1975	0.8
1974	0.8
1973	0.87
1972	1.19
1971	1.36
1970	0.92
1969	0.81
1968	0.79
1967	0.85
1966	0.87
1965	0.85
1964	0.85
1963	0.9
1962	1.08
1961	1.18
1960	1.18
1959	1.23
1958	1.24
1957	0.91
1956	0.68
1955	0.55
1954	0.67
1953	0.45
1952	0.34
1951	0.25

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

Sri Lanka in numbers

Every measure for Sri Lanka on one page

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflicts0 deaths in 2022

Military

Climate

Technology and environment