Military spending as a share of GDP in El Salvador
El Salvador: Military spending as a share of GDP was 0.7% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2019)
0.7%
Change on year
up 21.4%
World rank
142nd
of 172 countries
All-time high
3.8%
in 1985
All-time low
0.1%
in 1924
Years of data
145
1875–2019
Military spending as a share of GDP in El Salvador, 1875–2019
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 El Salvador is 0.7%, measured in 2019.
The figure is up 21.4% on the previous year and up 30.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in El Salvador peaked at 3.8% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1924.
El Salvador ranks 142nd 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 El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1875 | 2.5% | — |
| 1876 | 1.6% | -36.8% |
| 1877 | 1.4% | -14.1% |
| 1878 | 1.5% | +11.0% |
| 1879 | 1.5% | -2.9% |
| 1880 | 1.3% | -12.3% |
| 1881 | 1.3% | -2.4% |
| 1882 | 1.2% | -4.2% |
| 1883 | 1.0% | -13.5% |
| 1884 | 1.0% | -0.4% |
| 1885 | 1.0% | -4.4% |
| 1886 | 1.1% | +8.4% |
| 1887 | 1.0% | -9.7% |
| 1888 | 1.1% | +11.9% |
| 1889 | 1.3% | +18.8% |
| 1890 | 2.1% | +60.9% |
| 1891 | 2.0% | -6.0% |
| 1892 | 2.1% | +6.9% |
| 1893 | 2.1% | -2.2% |
| 1894 | 2.4% | +15.1% |
| 1895 | 2.3% | -3.0% |
| 1896 | 2.2% | -5.1% |
| 1897 | 1.9% | -14.0% |
| 1898 | 1.7% | -6.6% |
| 1899 | 1.5% | -16.7% |
| 1900 | 1.3% | -9.8% |
| 1901 | 1.3% | -2.6% |
| 1902 | 1.2% | -8.7% |
| 1903 | 1.1% | -7.9% |
| 1904 | 1.0% | -3.1% |
| 1905 | 1.1% | +2.1% |
| 1906 | 1.2% | +15.6% |
| 1907 | 1.3% | +6.1% |
| 1908 | 1.3% | +1.4% |
| 1909 | 1.4% | +8.2% |
| 1910 | 1.4% | -4.9% |
| 1911 | 1.4% | +6.1% |
| 1912 | 1.4% | -4.3% |
| 1913 | 1.5% | +10.0% |
| 1914 | 1.2% | -18.2% |
| 1915 | 1.4% | +13.2% |
| 1916 | 1.3% | -7.1% |
| 1917 | 1.1% | -15.7% |
| 1918 | 0.9% | -15.5% |
| 1919 | 0.8% | -19.4% |
| 1920 | 0.6% | -24.6% |
| 1921 | 0.1% | -83.6% |
| 1922 | 0.1% | -6.5% |
| 1923 | 0.1% | -11.1% |
| 1924 | 0.1% | -14.0% |
| 1925 | 0.1% | +13.1% |
| 1926 | 0.1% | +1.8% |
| 1927 | 0.1% | +10.5% |
| 1928 | 0.1% | +5.6% |
| 1929 | 0.1% | -0.1% |
| 1930 | 0.1% | -11.0% |
| 1931 | 0.1% | +3.4% |
| 1932 | 0.1% | -11.1% |
| 1933 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 1934 | 0.6% | +727.0% |
| 1935 | 0.7% | +16.6% |
| 1936 | 0.7% | -1.5% |
| 1937 | 0.6% | -3.1% |
| 1938 | 0.7% | +6.5% |
| 1939 | 0.7% | -1.5% |
| 1940 | 0.7% | +0.0% |
| 1941 | 0.7% | -4.2% |
| 1942 | 0.6% | -12.5% |
| 1943 | 0.5% | -11.3% |
| 1944 | 0.5% | +3.9% |
| 1945 | 0.6% | +9.4% |
| 1946 | 0.5% | -17.4% |
| 1947 | 0.5% | -3.3% |
| 1948 | 0.4% | -5.4% |
| 1949 | 0.6% | +34.8% |
| 1950 | 0.7% | +24.0% |
| 1951 | 0.8% | +13.7% |
| 1952 | 1.0% | +15.2% |
| 1953 | 1.0% | +8.3% |
| 1954 | 1.0% | -2.5% |
| 1955 | 1.0% | -3.8% |
| 1956 | 1.0% | +1.9% |
| 1957 | 1.0% | +6.1% |
| 1958 | 0.9% | -9.7% |
| 1959 | 0.8% | -20.0% |
| 1960 | 0.7% | -11.1% |
| 1961 | 0.7% | +7.1% |
| 1962 | 0.8% | +10.6% |
| 1963 | 0.7% | -9.5% |
| 1964 | 0.7% | -2.0% |
| 1965 | 0.7% | -1.2% |
| 1966 | 0.6% | -9.2% |
| 1967 | 0.6% | -4.8% |
| 1968 | 0.6% | -2.3% |
| 1969 | 0.9% | +58.1% |
| 1970 | 0.6% | -36.7% |
| 1971 | 0.6% | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 0.6% | +6.2% |
| 1973 | 0.7% | +9.6% |
| 1974 | 0.7% | -0.8% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 0.7% | +5.5% |
| 1977 | 0.9% | +17.6% |
| 1978 | 1.0% | +14.9% |
| 1979 | 1.4% | +39.4% |
| 1980 | 1.4% | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 2.0% | +43.2% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | +18.2% |
| 1983 | 2.5% | +4.9% |
| 1984 | 3.6% | +43.5% |
| 1985 | 3.8% | +4.2% |
| 1986 | 2.8% | -25.0% |
| 1987 | 2.9% | +3.0% |
| 1988 | 2.8% | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 2.4% | -14.2% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | -14.1% |
| 1991 | 1.9% | -8.2% |
| 1992 | 1.4% | -27.9% |
| 1993 | 1.2% | -13.7% |
| 1994 | 1.1% | -8.1% |
| 1995 | 1.0% | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | -5.0% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 1.0% | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 0.9% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 0.9% | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 0.8% | -7.5% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -14.0% |
| 2003 | 0.6% | -16.9% |
| 2004 | 0.6% | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 0.5% | -11.6% |
| 2006 | 0.5% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | +7.9% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | +6.8% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | -3.9% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 0.5% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 0.5% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | +10.2% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 0.7% | +21.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 1.7% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 5 |
| 1880s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1890s | 2.0% | 1.5% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1900s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.4% | 0.1% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1940s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1950s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 1960s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.8% | 0.6% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.7% | 1.4% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 10 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
- 139 South Africa 0.7% compare
- 140 Malawi 0.7% compare
- 141 Gambia 0.7% compare
- 143 Dominican Republic 0.7% compare
- 144 Kazakhstan 0.7% compare
- 145 Argentina 0.6% compare
More economy & growth data for El Salvador
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.92 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.3 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate 37.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2633 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per capita 1,518 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), annual growth rate 37.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.2633 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per capita 1,518 current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 34.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.2275 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in El Salvador?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in El Salvador 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 3.8% in 1985.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1924.
- How does El Salvador rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- El Salvador ranks 142nd out of 172 countries with data for 2019.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this El Salvador 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 — 145 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).