Military spending as a share of GDP in Switzerland
Switzerland: Military spending as a share of GDP was 0.6% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2019)
0.6%
Change on year
up 14.1%
World rank
146th
of 172 countries
All-time high
1.9%
in 1952
All-time low
0.1%
in 1870
Years of data
204
1816–2019
Military spending as a share of GDP in Switzerland, 1816–2019
Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 0.6% for military spending as a share of gdp in 2019.
The figure is up 14.1% on the previous year and up 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Switzerland peaked at 1.9% in 1952 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1870.
That places Switzerland 146th out of 172 countries with data for 2019, putting it 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 Switzerland, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1816 | 0.7% | — |
| 1817 | 0.6% | -12.5% |
| 1818 | 0.6% | -4.4% |
| 1819 | 0.6% | -0.2% |
| 1820 | 0.6% | -0.5% |
| 1821 | 0.6% | +10.2% |
| 1822 | 0.6% | -3.7% |
| 1823 | 0.6% | +1.5% |
| 1824 | 0.6% | +1.0% |
| 1825 | 0.6% | -2.9% |
| 1826 | 0.6% | -2.2% |
| 1827 | 0.6% | -3.7% |
| 1828 | 0.6% | +0.3% |
| 1829 | 0.6% | +8.7% |
| 1830 | 0.6% | -9.2% |
| 1831 | 0.6% | +9.5% |
| 1832 | 0.6% | -5.7% |
| 1833 | 0.6% | -5.3% |
| 1834 | 0.5% | -12.2% |
| 1835 | 0.5% | +0.0% |
| 1836 | 0.4% | -17.6% |
| 1837 | 0.4% | -1.2% |
| 1838 | 0.4% | -2.4% |
| 1839 | 0.4% | -5.5% |
| 1840 | 0.4% | +3.6% |
| 1841 | 0.3% | -8.7% |
| 1842 | 0.3% | -6.2% |
| 1843 | 0.3% | -0.7% |
| 1844 | 0.3% | -4.3% |
| 1845 | 0.3% | -5.3% |
| 1846 | 0.3% | -11.7% |
| 1847 | 0.2% | -10.7% |
| 1848 | 0.2% | -3.3% |
| 1849 | 0.2% | -7.9% |
| 1850 | 0.2% | -14.9% |
| 1851 | 0.2% | -9.6% |
| 1852 | 0.1% | -9.4% |
| 1853 | 0.1% | -4.7% |
| 1854 | 0.2% | +9.4% |
| 1855 | 0.1% | -1.1% |
| 1856 | 0.1% | -2.0% |
| 1857 | 0.1% | -7.4% |
| 1858 | 0.2% | +20.8% |
| 1859 | 0.2% | +40.4% |
| 1860 | 0.3% | +13.3% |
| 1861 | 0.2% | -13.3% |
| 1862 | 0.2% | +3.4% |
| 1863 | 0.2% | -2.7% |
| 1864 | 0.3% | +11.1% |
| 1865 | 0.2% | -16.4% |
| 1866 | 0.2% | -5.1% |
| 1867 | 0.2% | -14.9% |
| 1868 | 0.2% | -9.4% |
| 1869 | 0.1% | -10.4% |
| 1870 | 0.1% | -8.0% |
| 1871 | 0.1% | +4.2% |
| 1872 | 0.1% | +10.7% |
| 1873 | 0.2% | +19.4% |
| 1874 | 0.2% | +7.5% |
| 1875 | 0.4% | +97.1% |
| 1876 | 0.5% | +37.1% |
| 1877 | 0.5% | +6.4% |
| 1878 | 0.6% | +13.0% |
| 1879 | 0.6% | -3.0% |
| 1880 | 0.5% | -7.7% |
| 1881 | 0.6% | +2.4% |
| 1882 | 0.6% | +7.5% |
| 1883 | 0.6% | -1.5% |
| 1884 | 0.6% | -0.1% |
| 1885 | 0.5% | -7.6% |
| 1886 | 0.6% | +5.9% |
| 1887 | 0.6% | -2.7% |
| 1888 | 0.6% | +12.6% |
| 1889 | 0.7% | +16.3% |
| 1890 | 0.9% | +24.6% |
| 1891 | 0.8% | -7.8% |
| 1892 | 0.8% | -4.6% |
| 1893 | 0.7% | -7.6% |
| 1894 | 0.7% | -7.6% |
| 1895 | 0.7% | -3.0% |
| 1896 | 0.6% | -6.1% |
| 1897 | 0.6% | -7.9% |
| 1898 | 0.6% | +4.5% |
| 1899 | 0.6% | +1.5% |
| 1900 | 0.6% | +0.9% |
| 1901 | 0.6% | -6.7% |
| 1902 | 0.6% | +2.2% |
| 1903 | 0.6% | -5.7% |
| 1904 | 0.5% | -3.7% |
| 1905 | 0.5% | +1.5% |
| 1906 | 0.5% | -0.6% |
| 1907 | 0.5% | +0.9% |
| 1908 | 0.5% | -4.0% |
| 1909 | 0.6% | +10.4% |
| 1910 | 0.6% | -2.6% |
| 1911 | 0.5% | -7.7% |
| 1912 | 0.5% | -0.5% |
| 1913 | 0.5% | -2.0% |
| 1914 | 0.3% | -48.2% |
| 1915 | 0.3% | +10.9% |
| 1916 | 0.3% | -2.9% |
| 1917 | 0.3% | +2.6% |
| 1918 | 0.3% | +16.7% |
| 1919 | 0.4% | +9.2% |
| 1920 | 0.4% | -1.2% |
| 1921 | 0.5% | +47.1% |
| 1922 | 0.6% | +12.8% |
| 1923 | 0.6% | -5.6% |
| 1924 | 0.5% | -8.3% |
| 1925 | 0.5% | -1.1% |
| 1926 | 0.6% | +7.4% |
| 1927 | 0.6% | +2.1% |
| 1928 | 0.6% | +0.1% |
| 1929 | 0.6% | -0.1% |
| 1930 | 0.6% | +4.3% |
| 1931 | 0.6% | -1.6% |
| 1932 | 0.7% | +15.3% |
| 1933 | 0.7% | +3.0% |
| 1934 | 0.9% | +28.8% |
| 1935 | 1.0% | +13.0% |
| 1936 | 1.0% | -0.6% |
| 1937 | 1.0% | -3.1% |
| 1938 | 1.1% | +17.6% |
| 1939 | 1.2% | +7.6% |
| 1940 | 1.4% | +14.1% |
| 1941 | 1.5% | +9.6% |
| 1942 | 1.6% | +0.9% |
| 1943 | 1.6% | +5.6% |
| 1944 | 1.7% | +4.3% |
| 1945 | 1.9% | +10.6% |
| 1946 | 1.6% | -17.0% |
| 1947 | 1.4% | -11.1% |
| 1948 | 1.4% | -3.5% |
| 1949 | 1.8% | +30.6% |
| 1950 | 1.6% | -8.4% |
| 1951 | 1.6% | +0.4% |
| 1952 | 1.9% | +17.5% |
| 1953 | 1.7% | -9.5% |
| 1954 | 1.5% | -12.5% |
| 1955 | 1.3% | -10.9% |
| 1956 | 1.4% | +2.9% |
| 1957 | 1.5% | +7.2% |
| 1958 | 1.5% | +3.2% |
| 1959 | 1.4% | -11.6% |
| 1960 | 1.3% | -6.4% |
| 1961 | 1.3% | -1.1% |
| 1962 | 1.3% | +0.4% |
| 1963 | 1.3% | +0.9% |
| 1964 | 1.3% | +5.4% |
| 1965 | 1.4% | +1.2% |
| 1966 | 1.4% | +1.2% |
| 1967 | 1.4% | +3.1% |
| 1968 | 1.3% | -6.0% |
| 1969 | 1.3% | -5.7% |
| 1970 | 1.2% | -2.6% |
| 1971 | 1.2% | -4.9% |
| 1972 | 1.2% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 1.2% | +2.2% |
| 1974 | 1.2% | -2.1% |
| 1975 | 1.2% | +1.3% |
| 1976 | 1.3% | +10.5% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | -3.5% |
| 1978 | 1.4% | +10.8% |
| 1979 | 1.5% | +4.1% |
| 1980 | 1.3% | -8.3% |
| 1981 | 1.2% | -9.7% |
| 1982 | 1.3% | +10.9% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 1.4% | +0.1% |
| 1985 | 1.3% | -2.3% |
| 1986 | 1.5% | +12.2% |
| 1987 | 1.5% | -1.5% |
| 1988 | 1.5% | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 1.4% | -4.3% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | -6.7% |
| 1991 | 1.3% | -0.4% |
| 1992 | 1.3% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 1.3% | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 1.3% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 1.3% | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 1.2% | -7.1% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | -10.4% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | -14.0% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | -10.1% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | -5.4% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | -7.0% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -4.0% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -14.7% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -7.1% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | +3.3% |
| 2009 | 0.6% | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | +7.2% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 0.6% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 0.6% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 0.5% | -4.3% |
| 2017 | 0.6% | +7.6% |
| 2018 | 0.6% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 0.6% | +14.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% | 4 |
| 1820s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1830s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1840s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 1850s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 1860s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 1870s | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1880s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 1890s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1900s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1910s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1920s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1930s | 0.9% | 0.6% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1950s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.8% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More economy & growth data for Switzerland
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.6894 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 19,110 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 5.82 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.25 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 28,694 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual -0.0765 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 0.2079 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 23,855 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) -0.531 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Switzerland?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Switzerland was 0.6% 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 Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9% in 1952.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1870.
- How does Switzerland rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Switzerland ranks 146th out of 172 countries with data for 2019.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Switzerland 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 — 204 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).