Libya vs South Sudan: Military spending as a share of GDP
Libya
3.6%
in 2023
South Sudan
3.4%
in 2025
Libya rank
21st
South Sudan rank
23rd
Military spending as a share of GDP over time
- Libya
- South Sudan
How they compare
Libya currently reports 3.6% against 3.4% in South Sudan, a difference of 0.2%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 6 shared years of data; in 2008 it was South Sudan ahead.
Libya ranks 21st and South Sudan ranks 23rd of 166 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Libya averaged higher in 1 and South Sudan in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Libya | South Sudan | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.3% | 5.8% | 4.5% | South Sudan |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 8.0% | 3.0% | South Sudan |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 2.0% | 1.2% | Libya |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of gdp, Libya or South Sudan?
- Libya, at 3.6% against 3.4% in South Sudan as of 2023.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of gdp between Libya and South Sudan?
- 0.2%, with Libya ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Libya and South Sudan?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2023.
- How do Libya and South Sudan rank globally for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Libya ranks 21st and South Sudan ranks 23rd 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.