Military spending as a share of GDP in France
France: Military spending as a share of GDP was 1.5% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2019)
1.5%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
79th
of 172 countries
All-time high
48.4%
in 1918
All-time low
0.5%
in 1957
Years of data
203
1816–2019
Military spending as a share of GDP in France, 1816–2019
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 France stood at 1.5%.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in France peaked at 48.4% in 1918 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1957.
France ranks 79th 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 France, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1816 | 1.1% | — |
| 1817 | 0.9% | -16.2% |
| 1818 | 0.9% | -2.6% |
| 1819 | 1.0% | +8.2% |
| 1820 | 1.0% | +3.7% |
| 1821 | 1.1% | +6.4% |
| 1822 | 1.1% | +1.9% |
| 1823 | 1.6% | +38.2% |
| 1824 | 1.5% | -3.2% |
| 1825 | 1.5% | -0.4% |
| 1826 | 1.5% | -0.7% |
| 1827 | 1.5% | -0.8% |
| 1828 | 1.5% | +4.1% |
| 1829 | 1.6% | +3.7% |
| 1830 | 1.8% | +14.4% |
| 1831 | 2.2% | +22.4% |
| 1832 | 2.1% | -6.0% |
| 1833 | 2.0% | -5.8% |
| 1834 | 1.7% | -12.8% |
| 1835 | 1.7% | -2.8% |
| 1836 | 1.5% | -11.6% |
| 1837 | 1.6% | +6.6% |
| 1838 | 1.6% | +1.3% |
| 1839 | 1.7% | +8.8% |
| 1840 | 2.0% | +16.6% |
| 1841 | 2.3% | +11.0% |
| 1842 | 2.4% | +6.9% |
| 1843 | 2.4% | -1.4% |
| 1844 | 2.3% | -1.0% |
| 1845 | 2.3% | -2.3% |
| 1846 | 2.3% | +2.2% |
| 1847 | 2.3% | -4.0% |
| 1848 | 2.6% | +17.3% |
| 1849 | 2.1% | -20.7% |
| 1850 | 2.0% | -6.8% |
| 1851 | 2.0% | +3.5% |
| 1852 | 1.9% | -5.1% |
| 1853 | 1.9% | -2.7% |
| 1854 | 2.9% | +57.8% |
| 1855 | 4.3% | +44.6% |
| 1856 | 2.6% | -37.8% |
| 1857 | 2.2% | -18.7% |
| 1858 | 2.1% | -3.1% |
| 1859 | 2.5% | +21.3% |
| 1860 | 2.5% | -2.1% |
| 1861 | 2.0% | -19.6% |
| 1862 | 2.0% | +1.5% |
| 1863 | 2.3% | +11.4% |
| 1864 | 2.8% | +24.0% |
| 1865 | 1.6% | -42.6% |
| 1866 | 1.5% | -7.8% |
| 1867 | 1.8% | +24.7% |
| 1868 | 1.8% | +0.1% |
| 1869 | 1.9% | +3.5% |
| 1870 | 3.4% | +79.4% |
| 1871 | 2.4% | -31.2% |
| 1872 | 1.9% | -20.4% |
| 1873 | 2.0% | +5.0% |
| 1874 | 1.7% | -12.9% |
| 1875 | 1.8% | +2.0% |
| 1876 | 1.9% | +11.0% |
| 1877 | 1.9% | -2.5% |
| 1878 | 2.1% | +12.0% |
| 1879 | 2.2% | +4.1% |
| 1880 | 2.0% | -10.0% |
| 1881 | 2.1% | +7.4% |
| 1882 | 2.2% | +1.7% |
| 1883 | 2.2% | +0.9% |
| 1884 | 2.1% | -2.4% |
| 1885 | 2.0% | -4.4% |
| 1886 | 2.2% | +9.1% |
| 1887 | 2.1% | -6.9% |
| 1888 | 2.2% | +4.5% |
| 1889 | 2.3% | +4.3% |
| 1890 | 2.3% | +3.6% |
| 1891 | 2.2% | -5.7% |
| 1892 | 2.2% | +0.2% |
| 1893 | 2.0% | -9.0% |
| 1894 | 2.2% | +7.0% |
| 1895 | 2.2% | -0.0% |
| 1896 | 2.0% | -5.0% |
| 1897 | 2.2% | +6.2% |
| 1898 | 2.1% | -3.1% |
| 1899 | 2.0% | -4.7% |
| 1900 | 2.0% | +0.4% |
| 1901 | 2.1% | +3.3% |
| 1902 | 2.2% | +4.5% |
| 1903 | 2.1% | -4.7% |
| 1904 | 2.0% | -4.7% |
| 1905 | 2.0% | +1.6% |
| 1906 | 2.1% | +5.0% |
| 1907 | 2.0% | -6.9% |
| 1908 | 2.0% | -0.2% |
| 1909 | 2.2% | +11.5% |
| 1910 | 2.1% | -5.2% |
| 1911 | 2.1% | +3.7% |
| 1912 | 2.2% | +2.7% |
| 1913 | 2.4% | +10.7% |
| 1914 | 8.2% | +236.3% |
| 1915 | 24.9% | +203.9% |
| 1916 | 33.7% | +35.1% |
| 1917 | 37.9% | +12.6% |
| 1918 | 48.4% | +27.8% |
| 1919 | 3.3% | -93.1% |
| 1920 | 1.4% | -57.7% |
| 1921 | 1.7% | +18.2% |
| 1922 | 1.7% | +2.3% |
| 1923 | 1.5% | -11.6% |
| 1924 | 1.2% | -22.1% |
| 1925 | 1.2% | +1.9% |
| 1926 | 1.2% | +3.0% |
| 1927 | 1.4% | +11.2% |
| 1928 | 1.4% | +3.2% |
| 1929 | 1.5% | +7.5% |
| 1930 | 1.6% | +7.9% |
| 1931 | 1.9% | +18.2% |
| 1932 | 2.2% | +16.3% |
| 1933 | 2.3% | +2.8% |
| 1934 | 3.1% | +33.4% |
| 1935 | 3.5% | +14.9% |
| 1936 | 3.7% | +4.6% |
| 1937 | 3.5% | -6.2% |
| 1938 | 3.9% | +13.4% |
| 1939 | 4.3% | +9.3% |
| 1940 | 28.4% | +561.0% |
| 1941 | 4.1% | -85.5% |
| 1942 | 4.5% | +8.4% |
| 1944 | 5.6% | +24.5% |
| 1945 | 6.0% | +7.6% |
| 1946 | 4.7% | -21.7% |
| 1947 | 3.9% | -17.2% |
| 1948 | 3.0% | -21.9% |
| 1949 | 3.6% | +18.2% |
| 1950 | 3.0% | -15.2% |
| 1951 | 4.1% | +34.6% |
| 1952 | 1.4% | -65.2% |
| 1953 | 5.6% | +288.6% |
| 1954 | 0.5% | -90.5% |
| 1955 | 3.7% | +604.1% |
| 1956 | 1.8% | -51.5% |
| 1957 | 0.5% | -71.7% |
| 1958 | 1.8% | +259.0% |
| 1959 | 3.3% | +82.7% |
| 1960 | 3.2% | -3.2% |
| 1961 | 3.4% | +5.3% |
| 1962 | 3.5% | +2.8% |
| 1963 | 3.2% | -8.7% |
| 1964 | 3.2% | +1.7% |
| 1965 | 3.3% | +0.6% |
| 1966 | 3.1% | -4.8% |
| 1967 | 3.1% | -1.8% |
| 1968 | 3.1% | +0.2% |
| 1969 | 2.7% | -10.5% |
| 1970 | 2.6% | -4.3% |
| 1971 | 2.5% | -5.0% |
| 1972 | 2.6% | +3.5% |
| 1973 | 2.4% | -6.7% |
| 1974 | 2.4% | -1.6% |
| 1975 | 2.5% | +6.8% |
| 1976 | 2.4% | -3.7% |
| 1977 | 2.4% | -0.8% |
| 1978 | 2.5% | +4.8% |
| 1979 | 2.7% | +5.6% |
| 1980 | 2.6% | -1.1% |
| 1981 | 2.5% | -4.9% |
| 1982 | 2.5% | +0.1% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | -3.7% |
| 1984 | 2.4% | +0.7% |
| 1985 | 2.4% | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 2.6% | +8.6% |
| 1987 | 2.7% | +3.3% |
| 1988 | 2.5% | -8.0% |
| 1989 | 2.4% | -3.7% |
| 1990 | 2.4% | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 2.4% | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 2.4% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 2.4% | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 2.3% | -3.7% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 2.2% | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 2.0% | -7.5% |
| 1998 | 1.8% | -10.8% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | -13.3% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 1.5% | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 1.6% | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 1.8% | +15.8% |
| 2004 | 1.9% | +4.4% |
| 2005 | 1.8% | -4.6% |
| 2006 | 1.8% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 1.8% | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 1.8% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 1.7% | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | -6.5% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | +4.6% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | -8.4% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 1.4% | +3.9% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 1.0% | 0.9% | 1.1% | 4 |
| 1820s | 1.4% | 1.0% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1830s | 1.8% | 1.5% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1840s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 1850s | 2.4% | 1.9% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1860s | 2.0% | 1.5% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1870s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1880s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1890s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 1900s | 2.1% | 2.0% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1910s | 16.5% | 2.1% | 48.4% | 10 |
| 1920s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 1930s | 3.0% | 1.6% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1940s | 7.1% | 3.0% | 28.4% | 9 |
| 1950s | 2.6% | 0.5% | 5.6% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.2% | 2.7% | 3.5% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.5% | 2.4% | 2.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 1.6% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 10 |
Countries ranked near France
More economy & growth data for France
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.18 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.34 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 3,445 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 3.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.1678 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 8,218 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual -0.5409 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 0.1485 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 7,273 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) -0.6179 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in France?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in France was 1.5% 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 48.4% in 1918.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1957.
- How does France rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- France ranks 79th out of 172 countries with data for 2019.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this France 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 — 203 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).