Military spending as a share of GDP in Belgium
Belgium: Military spending as a share of GDP was 0.7% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2019)
0.7%
Change on year
up 6.3%
World rank
137th
of 172 countries
All-time high
9.2%
in 1945
All-time low
0.3%
in 1914
Years of data
186
1830–2019
Military spending as a share of GDP in Belgium, 1830–2019
Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2019, military spending as a share of gdp in Belgium stood at 0.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.3% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Belgium peaked at 9.2% in 1945 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1914.
Belgium ranks 137th of 172 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1830 | 2.7% | — |
| 1831 | 3.1% | +13.9% |
| 1832 | 2.7% | -12.9% |
| 1833 | 2.4% | -13.4% |
| 1834 | 1.9% | -21.1% |
| 1835 | 1.7% | -7.8% |
| 1836 | 1.5% | -13.9% |
| 1837 | 1.5% | +0.8% |
| 1838 | 1.4% | -3.7% |
| 1839 | 1.4% | +0.2% |
| 1840 | 1.4% | -4.8% |
| 1841 | 1.2% | -11.6% |
| 1842 | 1.2% | -4.5% |
| 1843 | 1.2% | +5.6% |
| 1844 | 1.2% | -4.3% |
| 1845 | 1.2% | +3.9% |
| 1846 | 1.2% | -2.4% |
| 1847 | 1.1% | -3.5% |
| 1848 | 1.3% | +12.8% |
| 1849 | 1.3% | -0.9% |
| 1850 | 1.1% | -10.6% |
| 1851 | 1.3% | +12.8% |
| 1852 | 1.2% | -4.7% |
| 1853 | 1.2% | +1.0% |
| 1854 | 1.1% | -10.3% |
| 1855 | 1.1% | -2.4% |
| 1856 | 1.1% | -2.3% |
| 1857 | 0.9% | -13.0% |
| 1858 | 1.0% | +6.9% |
| 1859 | 1.0% | +4.6% |
| 1860 | 1.0% | -5.4% |
| 1861 | 0.9% | -6.5% |
| 1862 | 0.9% | -2.7% |
| 1863 | 0.9% | -2.5% |
| 1864 | 0.9% | +7.6% |
| 1865 | 0.7% | -24.5% |
| 1866 | 0.7% | +2.3% |
| 1867 | 0.7% | +0.3% |
| 1868 | 0.8% | +3.8% |
| 1869 | 0.7% | -3.6% |
| 1870 | 0.7% | -3.5% |
| 1871 | 0.7% | -5.3% |
| 1872 | 0.6% | -5.2% |
| 1873 | 0.7% | +4.3% |
| 1874 | 0.7% | +1.1% |
| 1875 | 0.7% | +5.2% |
| 1876 | 0.8% | +8.8% |
| 1877 | 0.7% | -11.8% |
| 1878 | 0.7% | +6.7% |
| 1879 | 0.7% | -2.1% |
| 1880 | 0.6% | -8.4% |
| 1881 | 0.6% | -4.7% |
| 1882 | 0.6% | +0.6% |
| 1883 | 0.6% | +0.1% |
| 1884 | 0.6% | +4.0% |
| 1885 | 0.6% | -7.9% |
| 1886 | 0.6% | +7.1% |
| 1887 | 0.6% | -10.4% |
| 1888 | 0.6% | +5.3% |
| 1889 | 0.6% | -1.5% |
| 1890 | 0.6% | +5.4% |
| 1891 | 0.5% | -11.5% |
| 1892 | 0.6% | +3.6% |
| 1893 | 0.5% | -4.8% |
| 1894 | 0.6% | +6.3% |
| 1895 | 0.6% | +5.2% |
| 1896 | 0.6% | -4.4% |
| 1897 | 0.6% | -0.3% |
| 1898 | 0.6% | +3.4% |
| 1899 | 0.6% | -1.5% |
| 1900 | 0.6% | +4.0% |
| 1901 | 0.6% | -4.9% |
| 1902 | 0.6% | -0.3% |
| 1903 | 0.6% | -3.1% |
| 1904 | 0.5% | -5.9% |
| 1905 | 0.5% | +2.7% |
| 1906 | 0.5% | -3.0% |
| 1907 | 0.5% | -2.1% |
| 1908 | 0.5% | -5.2% |
| 1909 | 0.5% | +5.6% |
| 1910 | 0.5% | -6.7% |
| 1911 | 0.5% | +3.6% |
| 1912 | 0.5% | +1.7% |
| 1913 | 0.6% | +15.8% |
| 1914 | 0.3% | -52.2% |
| 1915 | 0.4% | +30.5% |
| 1916 | 0.6% | +62.0% |
| 1917 | 0.7% | +17.1% |
| 1918 | 0.9% | +32.8% |
| 1919 | 0.8% | -12.9% |
| 1920 | 0.7% | -17.0% |
| 1921 | 0.7% | +12.2% |
| 1922 | 0.7% | -4.9% |
| 1923 | 0.6% | -13.9% |
| 1924 | 0.5% | -17.4% |
| 1925 | 0.5% | -6.8% |
| 1926 | 0.4% | -11.7% |
| 1927 | 0.4% | +0.7% |
| 1928 | 0.5% | +9.7% |
| 1929 | 0.5% | +11.7% |
| 1930 | 0.6% | +20.1% |
| 1931 | 0.7% | +16.7% |
| 1932 | 0.8% | +9.7% |
| 1933 | 0.8% | +7.6% |
| 1934 | 1.1% | +33.8% |
| 1935 | 1.0% | -6.9% |
| 1936 | 1.1% | +0.8% |
| 1937 | 1.1% | -0.4% |
| 1938 | 1.3% | +19.2% |
| 1939 | 1.2% | -7.7% |
| 1940 | 8.4% | +624.0% |
| 1945 | 9.2% | +9.7% |
| 1946 | 7.8% | -15.4% |
| 1947 | 6.2% | -19.8% |
| 1948 | 4.1% | -34.1% |
| 1949 | 2.1% | -48.5% |
| 1950 | 1.7% | -20.6% |
| 1951 | 2.4% | +42.7% |
| 1952 | 3.5% | +45.2% |
| 1953 | 3.4% | -3.6% |
| 1954 | 3.0% | -10.3% |
| 1955 | 2.5% | -18.4% |
| 1956 | 2.6% | +3.9% |
| 1957 | 2.5% | -2.1% |
| 1958 | 2.3% | -6.3% |
| 1959 | 2.2% | -7.5% |
| 1960 | 2.0% | -9.2% |
| 1961 | 2.0% | +2.8% |
| 1962 | 2.0% | -1.4% |
| 1963 | 2.0% | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 2.1% | +4.2% |
| 1965 | 2.1% | -0.6% |
| 1966 | 2.0% | -2.2% |
| 1967 | 2.0% | -0.2% |
| 1968 | 2.0% | -0.8% |
| 1969 | 2.0% | -1.0% |
| 1970 | 1.9% | -2.6% |
| 1971 | 1.9% | -0.4% |
| 1972 | 2.0% | +5.2% |
| 1973 | 2.0% | -3.7% |
| 1974 | 2.0% | +3.0% |
| 1975 | 2.3% | +11.7% |
| 1976 | 2.3% | +1.8% |
| 1977 | 2.4% | +6.0% |
| 1978 | 2.5% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 2.7% | +8.8% |
| 1980 | 2.4% | -10.6% |
| 1981 | 2.2% | -7.4% |
| 1982 | 2.0% | -8.6% |
| 1983 | 2.0% | -3.5% |
| 1984 | 1.9% | -2.2% |
| 1985 | 1.9% | -2.2% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | +10.1% |
| 1987 | 2.0% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 1.8% | -9.5% |
| 1989 | 1.7% | -9.2% |
| 1990 | 1.5% | -10.0% |
| 1991 | 1.4% | -4.0% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | -2.8% |
| 1993 | 1.4% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | -3.0% |
| 1995 | 1.3% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 1.3% | -6.6% |
| 1997 | 1.2% | -6.7% |
| 1998 | 1.1% | -8.4% |
| 1999 | 1.0% | -5.5% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | -10.1% |
| 2001 | 0.9% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 0.9% | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 0.9% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 1.0% | +9.8% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | -9.7% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 0.9% | +8.5% |
| 2008 | 1.0% | +3.6% |
| 2009 | 0.9% | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | -6.0% |
| 2011 | 0.8% | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 0.8% | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 0.8% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 0.7% | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 0.7% | -9.2% |
| 2016 | 0.6% | -6.1% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | +8.6% |
| 2018 | 0.7% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | +6.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1830s | 2.0% | 1.4% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1840s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1850s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.6% | 0.3% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1940s | 6.3% | 2.1% | 9.2% | 6 |
| 1950s | 2.6% | 1.7% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.0% | 2.0% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.2% | 1.9% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | 1.0% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 134 Bahamas 0.8% compare
- 135 Ethiopia 0.8% compare
- 136 Bosnia and Herzegovina 0.8% compare
- 138 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.7% compare
- 139 South Africa 0.7% compare
- 140 Malawi 0.7% compare
More economy & growth data for Belgium
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.04 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 1.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 0.1316 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 7,994 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), annual 1.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 0.132 constant LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant LCU), per 8,020 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 8.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.7123 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Belgium?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Belgium was 0.7% in 2019, according to Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 9.2% in 1945.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1914.
- How does Belgium rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Belgium ranks 137th out of 172 countries with data for 2019.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Military spending measured as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).