Kuwait vs United Arab Emirates: Military spending as a share of GDP
Kuwait
4.7%
in 2025
United Arab Emirates
5.6%
in 2014
Kuwait rank
13th
United Arab Emirates rank
12th
Military spending as a share of GDP over time
- Kuwait
- United Arab Emirates
How they compare
United Arab Emirates currently reports 5.6% against 4.7% in Kuwait, a difference of 0.9%.
That makes United Arab Emirates's figure about 1.2 times Kuwait's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 18 shared years of data; in 1997 it was Kuwait ahead.
Kuwait ranks 13th and United Arab Emirates ranks 12th of 166 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Kuwait averaged higher in 2 and United Arab Emirates in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kuwait | United Arab Emirates | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.2% | 7.7% | 0.5% | Kuwait |
| 2000s | 5.3% | 4.7% | 0.6% | Kuwait |
| 2010s | 3.5% | 5.7% | 2.1% | United Arab Emirates |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of gdp, Kuwait or United Arab Emirates?
- United Arab Emirates, at 5.6% against 4.7% in Kuwait as of 2014.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of gdp between Kuwait and United Arab Emirates?
- 0.9%, with United Arab Emirates ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kuwait and United Arab Emirates?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 1997 to 2014.
- How do Kuwait and United Arab Emirates rank globally for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Kuwait ranks 13th and United Arab Emirates ranks 12th of 166 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.