Military spending as a share of GDP in Brazil
Brazil: Military spending as a share of GDP was 1.0% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2019)
1.0%
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
117th
of 172 countries
All-time high
7.5%
in 1867
All-time low
0.4%
in 1984
Years of data
198
1822–2019
Military spending as a share of GDP in Brazil, 1822–2019
Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending as a share of gdp in Brazil is 1.0%, measured in 2019.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Brazil peaked at 7.5% in 1867 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 1984.
Brazil ranks 117th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Brazil, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1822 | 1.4% | — |
| 1823 | 1.6% | +12.2% |
| 1824 | 1.7% | +6.5% |
| 1825 | 1.7% | -3.2% |
| 1826 | 1.7% | +4.6% |
| 1827 | 1.8% | +2.1% |
| 1828 | 1.8% | +3.4% |
| 1829 | 2.0% | +9.5% |
| 1830 | 1.9% | -6.8% |
| 1831 | 2.3% | +20.8% |
| 1832 | 2.2% | -0.6% |
| 1833 | 2.3% | +0.7% |
| 1834 | 2.0% | -12.0% |
| 1835 | 1.8% | -9.1% |
| 1836 | 1.7% | -8.7% |
| 1837 | 1.9% | +16.9% |
| 1838 | 2.4% | +25.2% |
| 1839 | 2.8% | +15.6% |
| 1840 | 4.7% | +68.7% |
| 1841 | 3.7% | -21.7% |
| 1842 | 4.5% | +21.3% |
| 1843 | 6.5% | +44.1% |
| 1844 | 3.9% | -39.6% |
| 1845 | 3.6% | -8.0% |
| 1846 | 3.6% | +0.6% |
| 1847 | 3.6% | -1.3% |
| 1848 | 3.9% | +10.6% |
| 1849 | 3.8% | -3.9% |
| 1850 | 3.6% | -4.2% |
| 1851 | 3.8% | +3.9% |
| 1852 | 4.9% | +30.1% |
| 1853 | 5.2% | +5.5% |
| 1854 | 5.2% | +0.8% |
| 1855 | 5.2% | +0.5% |
| 1856 | 5.3% | +0.4% |
| 1857 | 4.5% | -13.7% |
| 1858 | 4.2% | -7.4% |
| 1859 | 4.5% | +6.9% |
| 1860 | 5.0% | +12.0% |
| 1861 | 4.5% | -11.0% |
| 1862 | 4.3% | -4.1% |
| 1863 | 3.8% | -11.1% |
| 1864 | 5.3% | +38.4% |
| 1865 | 2.6% | -50.2% |
| 1866 | 2.9% | +11.5% |
| 1867 | 7.5% | +154.7% |
| 1868 | 3.0% | -60.0% |
| 1869 | 2.6% | -12.6% |
| 1870 | 2.3% | -13.0% |
| 1871 | 2.3% | +3.0% |
| 1872 | 2.6% | +9.4% |
| 1873 | 3.1% | +21.4% |
| 1874 | 2.7% | -12.4% |
| 1875 | 2.7% | -1.4% |
| 1876 | 2.8% | +2.3% |
| 1877 | 2.5% | -10.9% |
| 1878 | 2.4% | -0.3% |
| 1879 | 2.3% | -6.4% |
| 1880 | 2.1% | -8.3% |
| 1881 | 2.0% | -3.3% |
| 1882 | 2.1% | +3.3% |
| 1883 | 1.9% | -8.7% |
| 1884 | 2.0% | +2.2% |
| 1885 | 1.7% | -11.2% |
| 1886 | 1.9% | +7.1% |
| 1887 | 1.9% | +0.5% |
| 1888 | 2.1% | +10.3% |
| 1889 | 2.2% | +6.5% |
| 1890 | 2.2% | -0.9% |
| 1891 | 2.0% | -8.8% |
| 1892 | 2.1% | +4.0% |
| 1893 | 1.6% | -22.7% |
| 1894 | 1.4% | -9.3% |
| 1895 | 1.5% | +1.7% |
| 1896 | 1.9% | +32.2% |
| 1897 | 1.8% | -7.4% |
| 1898 | 1.6% | -9.0% |
| 1899 | 1.6% | -0.5% |
| 1900 | 1.7% | +2.7% |
| 1901 | 1.6% | -5.6% |
| 1902 | 1.7% | +6.5% |
| 1903 | 1.9% | +15.2% |
| 1904 | 2.0% | +4.5% |
| 1905 | 2.3% | +13.1% |
| 1906 | 2.5% | +7.3% |
| 1907 | 2.7% | +10.3% |
| 1908 | 2.9% | +5.8% |
| 1909 | 3.3% | +14.2% |
| 1910 | 3.0% | -7.2% |
| 1911 | 3.0% | -0.0% |
| 1912 | 2.8% | -8.4% |
| 1913 | 3.0% | +7.9% |
| 1914 | 2.1% | -30.5% |
| 1915 | 2.3% | +11.4% |
| 1916 | 2.2% | -3.6% |
| 1917 | 1.8% | -20.1% |
| 1918 | 1.6% | -8.4% |
| 1919 | 1.2% | -28.8% |
| 1920 | 0.7% | -39.5% |
| 1921 | 1.3% | +87.7% |
| 1922 | 1.5% | +12.0% |
| 1923 | 1.3% | -13.0% |
| 1924 | 1.1% | -15.3% |
| 1925 | 1.2% | +6.2% |
| 1926 | 1.2% | -0.1% |
| 1927 | 1.1% | -2.7% |
| 1928 | 1.2% | +3.1% |
| 1929 | 1.2% | +5.9% |
| 1930 | 1.3% | +4.9% |
| 1931 | 1.3% | -2.8% |
| 1932 | 1.6% | +26.2% |
| 1933 | 1.4% | -9.7% |
| 1934 | 1.7% | +18.7% |
| 1935 | 1.4% | -17.9% |
| 1936 | 1.3% | -4.0% |
| 1937 | 1.4% | +3.1% |
| 1938 | 1.5% | +6.9% |
| 1939 | 1.5% | +0.6% |
| 1940 | 1.7% | +11.4% |
| 1941 | 1.7% | +3.0% |
| 1942 | 1.8% | +7.5% |
| 1943 | 1.6% | -14.5% |
| 1944 | 1.9% | +23.5% |
| 1945 | 3.1% | +60.9% |
| 1946 | 2.8% | -11.2% |
| 1947 | 2.4% | -11.9% |
| 1948 | 2.1% | -12.7% |
| 1949 | 2.4% | +15.3% |
| 1950 | 2.4% | -2.7% |
| 1951 | 2.3% | -4.9% |
| 1952 | 2.5% | +10.8% |
| 1953 | 2.3% | -7.8% |
| 1954 | 1.8% | -20.2% |
| 1955 | 1.6% | -10.9% |
| 1956 | 2.2% | +33.8% |
| 1957 | 2.3% | +2.3% |
| 1958 | 1.9% | -15.0% |
| 1959 | 1.2% | -35.6% |
| 1960 | 0.9% | -28.5% |
| 1961 | 0.8% | -5.1% |
| 1962 | 0.9% | +5.9% |
| 1963 | 0.9% | +1.0% |
| 1964 | 1.1% | +21.7% |
| 1965 | 1.1% | +5.2% |
| 1966 | 1.2% | +0.3% |
| 1967 | 1.2% | +5.3% |
| 1968 | 1.2% | -0.9% |
| 1969 | 1.1% | -8.0% |
| 1970 | 1.0% | -5.6% |
| 1971 | 1.1% | +2.7% |
| 1972 | 1.0% | -5.2% |
| 1973 | 0.9% | -10.7% |
| 1974 | 0.8% | -9.0% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | -9.0% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | -6.0% |
| 1977 | 0.6% | -8.5% |
| 1978 | 0.6% | -7.9% |
| 1979 | 0.5% | -14.1% |
| 1980 | 0.4% | -18.2% |
| 1981 | 0.4% | -11.8% |
| 1982 | 0.4% | +13.6% |
| 1983 | 0.4% | -10.7% |
| 1984 | 0.4% | -2.3% |
| 1985 | 0.4% | +10.6% |
| 1986 | 0.4% | +3.1% |
| 1987 | 0.4% | +3.1% |
| 1988 | 0.6% | +28.5% |
| 1989 | 0.7% | +23.7% |
| 1990 | 0.5% | -19.5% |
| 1991 | 0.5% | -4.3% |
| 1992 | 0.6% | +7.7% |
| 1993 | 0.7% | +24.6% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | +23.7% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | +11.2% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | +5.6% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | +9.9% |
| 1998 | 1.2% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 1.1% | -7.3% |
| 2000 | 1.0% | -11.6% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | -12.3% |
| 2002 | 0.8% | -9.4% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -17.3% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | +4.9% |
| 2005 | 0.8% | +15.1% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | +13.1% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | +13.9% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | +9.8% |
| 2009 | 1.1% | +2.9% |
| 2010 | 1.1% | +4.2% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 1.1% | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 1.0% | -9.5% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | -6.3% |
| 2015 | 0.9% | -12.0% |
| 2016 | 0.9% | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 1.0% | +18.4% |
| 2018 | 1.0% | -3.4% |
| 2019 | 1.0% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 1.7% | 1.4% | 2.0% | 8 |
| 1830s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1840s | 4.2% | 3.6% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 1850s | 4.6% | 3.6% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1860s | 4.2% | 2.6% | 7.5% | 10 |
| 1870s | 2.6% | 2.3% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1880s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1890s | 1.8% | 1.4% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1900s | 2.3% | 1.6% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 1910s | 2.3% | 1.2% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.2% | 0.7% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1930s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1940s | 2.2% | 1.6% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.1% | 1.2% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.8% | 0.5% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.5% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.2% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More economy & growth data for Brazil
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.56 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 2,065 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 0.3664 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.2015 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 2,159 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 4.06 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 1.13 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 12,061 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 1.45 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Brazil?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Brazil was 1.0% 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 Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 7.5% in 1867.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 1984.
- How does Brazil rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Brazil ranks 117th out of 172 countries with data for 2019.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Brazil 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
CSV · JSON — 198 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Military spending measured as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).