Military spending as a share of GDP in Maldives
Maldives: Military spending as a share of GDP was 1.2% in 2016. ◆ Volatile
Military spending as a share of GDP in Maldives, 1965–2016
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 Maldives is 1.2%, measured in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 52 years on record.
That represents a change of down 4.5% on the previous year and down 47.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Maldives peaked at 15.1% in 1965 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2016.
That places Maldives 92nd out of 172 countries with data for 2016, putting it 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 Maldives, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1965 | 15.1% | — |
| 1966 | 14.6% | -3.6% |
| 1967 | 13.4% | -8.3% |
| 1968 | 12.5% | -6.3% |
| 1969 | 11.9% | -5.0% |
| 1970 | 11.0% | -8.0% |
| 1971 | 10.8% | -1.8% |
| 1972 | 9.9% | -7.7% |
| 1973 | 8.5% | -14.5% |
| 1974 | 7.4% | -12.4% |
| 1975 | 6.7% | -10.0% |
| 1976 | 6.5% | -3.3% |
| 1977 | 5.5% | -14.6% |
| 1978 | 4.2% | -24.2% |
| 1979 | 3.6% | -13.5% |
| 1980 | 2.8% | -23.1% |
| 1981 | 2.3% | -17.2% |
| 1982 | 2.1% | -10.1% |
| 1983 | 1.8% | -15.2% |
| 1984 | 1.4% | -18.2% |
| 1985 | 1.5% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 1.6% | +8.2% |
| 1987 | 1.7% | +7.9% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | +13.3% |
| 1989 | 2.1% | +9.9% |
| 1990 | 2.1% | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 2.4% | +9.9% |
| 1992 | 2.8% | +19.8% |
| 1993 | 2.8% | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 2.9% | +5.8% |
| 1995 | 3.0% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 3.1% | +4.6% |
| 1997 | 3.2% | +3.1% |
| 1998 | 3.4% | +7.6% |
| 1999 | 3.3% | -2.8% |
| 2000 | 3.1% | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 2.7% | -10.3% |
| 2002 | 2.4% | -10.8% |
| 2003 | 2.2% | -10.4% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | -7.8% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +16.6% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 2.0% | -11.6% |
| 2008 | 1.8% | -11.2% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 1.7% | -5.7% |
| 2011 | 1.6% | -8.3% |
| 2012 | 1.5% | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 1.4% | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 1.3% | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | -4.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 13.5% | 11.9% | 15.1% | 5 |
| 1970s | 7.4% | 3.6% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.9% | 1.4% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.9% | 2.1% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Maldives
- 89 Montenegro 1.3% compare
- 90 Belize 1.3% compare
- 91 Norway 1.3% compare
- 93 Egypt 1.2% compare
- 94 Côte d'Ivoire 1.2% compare
- 95 Tanzania, United Republic of 1.2% compare
More economy & growth data for Maldives
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 4.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 4.5 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 3,462 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 11.2 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.0933 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 1,364 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 11.4 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 1.44 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 21,021 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 7.77 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Maldives?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Maldives was 1.2% in 2016, 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 Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 15.1% in 1965.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2016.
- How does Maldives rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Maldives ranks 92nd out of 172 countries with data for 2016.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Maldives 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.
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About this data
Military spending measured as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP).