Military spending as a share of GDP in Greece
Greece: Military spending as a share of GDP was 1.5% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2019)
1.5%
Change on year
up 10.9%
World rank
73rd
of 172 countries
All-time high
23.9%
in 1921
All-time low
1.3%
in 2015
Years of data
190
1828–2019
Military spending as a share of GDP in Greece, 1828–2019
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 Greece is 1.5%, measured in 2019.
That represents a change of up 10.9% on the previous year and down 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Greece peaked at 23.9% in 1921 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2015.
Greece ranks 73rd 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 Greece, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1828 | 4.2% | — |
| 1829 | 4.5% | +8.3% |
| 1830 | 4.4% | -2.0% |
| 1831 | 5.1% | +15.2% |
| 1832 | 5.1% | -0.6% |
| 1833 | 5.3% | +3.3% |
| 1834 | 4.4% | -16.2% |
| 1835 | 4.1% | -7.7% |
| 1836 | 3.4% | -15.7% |
| 1837 | 3.4% | -1.6% |
| 1838 | 3.2% | -5.6% |
| 1839 | 3.2% | -0.2% |
| 1840 | 3.9% | +21.7% |
| 1841 | 3.7% | -4.0% |
| 1842 | 3.7% | -0.8% |
| 1843 | 3.9% | +6.6% |
| 1844 | 4.0% | +1.3% |
| 1845 | 3.9% | -0.6% |
| 1846 | 3.8% | -4.6% |
| 1847 | 3.8% | +1.5% |
| 1848 | 4.1% | +7.4% |
| 1849 | 4.1% | -1.3% |
| 1850 | 3.7% | -9.1% |
| 1851 | 3.4% | -7.0% |
| 1852 | 3.2% | -6.8% |
| 1853 | 2.9% | -9.0% |
| 1854 | 2.7% | -6.5% |
| 1855 | 2.7% | -1.4% |
| 1856 | 2.6% | -2.5% |
| 1857 | 2.3% | -13.9% |
| 1858 | 2.4% | +5.4% |
| 1859 | 2.6% | +9.7% |
| 1860 | 3.0% | +13.5% |
| 1861 | 2.4% | -18.7% |
| 1862 | 2.3% | -4.4% |
| 1863 | 2.2% | -2.2% |
| 1864 | 2.4% | +5.5% |
| 1865 | 1.9% | -18.8% |
| 1866 | 2.1% | +10.2% |
| 1867 | 2.2% | +2.3% |
| 1868 | 2.5% | +15.4% |
| 1869 | 2.8% | +11.7% |
| 1870 | 3.3% | +18.2% |
| 1871 | 3.2% | -1.8% |
| 1872 | 3.3% | +2.2% |
| 1873 | 3.4% | +3.2% |
| 1874 | 3.2% | -7.3% |
| 1875 | 3.2% | +2.0% |
| 1876 | 3.5% | +8.5% |
| 1877 | 3.5% | +0.5% |
| 1878 | 4.0% | +12.0% |
| 1879 | 4.0% | +2.4% |
| 1880 | 3.7% | -8.7% |
| 1881 | 3.4% | -9.3% |
| 1882 | 4.3% | +27.7% |
| 1883 | 4.9% | +13.3% |
| 1884 | 4.4% | -8.4% |
| 1885 | 4.1% | -8.5% |
| 1886 | 3.8% | -6.3% |
| 1887 | 3.2% | -17.2% |
| 1888 | 3.4% | +8.2% |
| 1889 | 3.9% | +15.2% |
| 1890 | 4.9% | +24.9% |
| 1891 | 3.8% | -23.5% |
| 1892 | 3.6% | -4.3% |
| 1893 | 3.3% | -7.6% |
| 1894 | 3.4% | +2.1% |
| 1895 | 3.6% | +5.6% |
| 1896 | 3.5% | -2.0% |
| 1897 | 3.9% | +11.2% |
| 1898 | 3.8% | -1.8% |
| 1899 | 4.0% | +3.3% |
| 1900 | 4.2% | +5.4% |
| 1901 | 3.9% | -7.0% |
| 1902 | 3.6% | -7.2% |
| 1903 | 3.4% | -5.1% |
| 1904 | 3.1% | -8.8% |
| 1905 | 3.1% | +0.2% |
| 1906 | 2.9% | -8.3% |
| 1907 | 2.8% | -4.1% |
| 1908 | 2.8% | +1.9% |
| 1909 | 2.9% | +2.7% |
| 1910 | 2.8% | -1.5% |
| 1911 | 2.6% | -8.1% |
| 1912 | 2.5% | -5.1% |
| 1913 | 9.5% | +285.3% |
| 1914 | 4.8% | -49.4% |
| 1915 | 5.0% | +3.4% |
| 1916 | 5.0% | -0.6% |
| 1917 | 12.0% | +141.6% |
| 1918 | 10.0% | -16.7% |
| 1919 | 10.1% | +1.3% |
| 1920 | 9.6% | -4.8% |
| 1921 | 23.9% | +148.6% |
| 1922 | 10.2% | -57.5% |
| 1923 | 7.0% | -31.5% |
| 1924 | 5.2% | -25.9% |
| 1925 | 4.6% | -11.0% |
| 1926 | 4.5% | -1.1% |
| 1927 | 3.7% | -18.9% |
| 1928 | 3.7% | +1.5% |
| 1929 | 3.2% | -13.4% |
| 1930 | 3.3% | +1.1% |
| 1931 | 3.2% | -1.6% |
| 1932 | 2.9% | -10.9% |
| 1933 | 2.2% | -24.7% |
| 1934 | 2.9% | +34.7% |
| 1935 | 3.3% | +15.0% |
| 1936 | 4.0% | +20.2% |
| 1937 | 4.0% | -0.6% |
| 1938 | 4.1% | +2.6% |
| 1939 | 4.7% | +15.3% |
| 1940 | 7.7% | +62.2% |
| 1941 | 11.3% | +47.8% |
| 1944 | 16.8% | +48.5% |
| 1945 | 19.1% | +13.1% |
| 1946 | 15.1% | -20.6% |
| 1947 | 10.4% | -31.5% |
| 1948 | 10.9% | +5.3% |
| 1949 | 13.3% | +21.6% |
| 1950 | 9.2% | -30.5% |
| 1951 | 9.5% | +3.3% |
| 1952 | 9.3% | -2.2% |
| 1953 | 6.7% | -28.6% |
| 1954 | 5.9% | -11.9% |
| 1955 | 5.1% | -13.3% |
| 1956 | 5.8% | +14.4% |
| 1957 | 5.1% | -12.7% |
| 1958 | 4.6% | -9.5% |
| 1959 | 4.1% | -11.0% |
| 1960 | 3.4% | -16.2% |
| 1961 | 3.1% | -8.9% |
| 1962 | 3.0% | -4.7% |
| 1963 | 2.6% | -12.7% |
| 1964 | 2.4% | -6.8% |
| 1965 | 2.5% | +3.5% |
| 1966 | 2.5% | -2.1% |
| 1967 | 2.7% | +10.7% |
| 1968 | 2.8% | +3.0% |
| 1969 | 2.8% | -1.4% |
| 1970 | 2.7% | -2.7% |
| 1971 | 2.4% | -9.7% |
| 1972 | 2.3% | -4.9% |
| 1973 | 2.2% | -4.1% |
| 1974 | 2.3% | +4.9% |
| 1975 | 3.1% | +34.5% |
| 1976 | 3.0% | -4.4% |
| 1977 | 2.8% | -5.4% |
| 1978 | 2.9% | +3.6% |
| 1979 | 3.0% | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 2.7% | -11.3% |
| 1981 | 2.8% | +5.5% |
| 1982 | 3.0% | +5.2% |
| 1983 | 2.7% | -7.6% |
| 1984 | 2.9% | +5.4% |
| 1985 | 2.5% | -11.6% |
| 1986 | 2.5% | -1.3% |
| 1987 | 2.4% | -4.6% |
| 1988 | 2.5% | +4.8% |
| 1989 | 2.3% | -8.3% |
| 1990 | 2.2% | -3.7% |
| 1991 | 2.1% | -4.7% |
| 1992 | 2.2% | +4.9% |
| 1993 | 2.2% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | -7.4% |
| 1995 | 2.3% | +13.3% |
| 1996 | 2.3% | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 2.2% | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 2.0% | -6.9% |
| 2000 | 2.0% | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | -7.5% |
| 2002 | 1.6% | -9.0% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | -10.9% |
| 2004 | 1.5% | +1.9% |
| 2005 | 1.6% | +6.6% |
| 2006 | 1.6% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 1.7% | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 1.9% | +9.9% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 1.8% | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 1.7% | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 1.6% | -8.5% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | -6.1% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | -9.0% |
| 2016 | 1.3% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 1.4% | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 1.5% | +10.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.5% | 2 |
| 1830s | 4.2% | 3.2% | 5.3% | 10 |
| 1840s | 3.9% | 3.7% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 1850s | 2.8% | 2.3% | 3.7% | 10 |
| 1860s | 2.4% | 1.9% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1870s | 3.5% | 3.2% | 4.0% | 10 |
| 1880s | 3.9% | 3.2% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1890s | 3.8% | 3.3% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 1900s | 3.3% | 2.8% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 1910s | 6.4% | 2.5% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 1920s | 7.6% | 3.2% | 23.9% | 10 |
| 1930s | 3.5% | 2.2% | 4.7% | 10 |
| 1940s | 13.1% | 7.7% | 19.1% | 8 |
| 1950s | 6.5% | 4.1% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.8% | 2.4% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.7% | 2.2% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.6% | 2.3% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.2% | 2.0% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.5% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.8% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Greece
More economy & growth data for Greece
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.67 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- Services, value added (current US$), annual growth rate 8.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.6745 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current US$), per capita 18,176 current US$ per person (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), annual growth rate 4.04 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.5969 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Services, value added (current LCU), per capita 16,085 current LCU per person (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 0.7787 % change on previous year (2025)
- Services, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5401 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Greece?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Greece 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 Greece?
- The highest recorded value was 23.9% in 1921.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Greece?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2015.
- How does Greece rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Greece ranks 73rd out of 172 countries with data for 2019.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Greece?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Greece 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 — 190 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).