Military spending as a share of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago: Military spending as a share of GDP was 1.8% in 2019. ◆ Volatile
Military spending as a share of GDP in Trinidad and Tobago, 1962–2019
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 Trinidad and Tobago stood at 1.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.7% on the previous year and up 283.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 2.1% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1974.
That places Trinidad and Tobago 54th out of 172 countries with data for 2019, 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 Trinidad and Tobago, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1962 | 0.2% | — |
| 1963 | 0.2% | -7.6% |
| 1964 | 0.2% | +8.8% |
| 1965 | 0.2% | -2.1% |
| 1966 | 0.2% | -0.8% |
| 1967 | 0.2% | +3.4% |
| 1968 | 0.3% | +8.1% |
| 1969 | 0.3% | +23.2% |
| 1970 | 0.4% | +5.9% |
| 1971 | 0.4% | +1.0% |
| 1972 | 0.3% | -11.9% |
| 1973 | 0.2% | -19.8% |
| 1974 | 0.2% | -12.6% |
| 1975 | 0.2% | +4.1% |
| 1976 | 0.3% | +23.4% |
| 1977 | 0.3% | +21.3% |
| 1978 | 0.4% | +13.7% |
| 1979 | 0.6% | +57.2% |
| 1980 | 0.5% | -10.9% |
| 1981 | 0.6% | +6.7% |
| 1982 | 1.3% | +117.8% |
| 1983 | 1.4% | +13.4% |
| 1984 | 1.3% | -11.8% |
| 1985 | 1.3% | +3.2% |
| 1986 | 1.6% | +23.2% |
| 1987 | 1.4% | -13.4% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | -13.5% |
| 1989 | 1.0% | -15.6% |
| 1990 | 0.8% | -19.7% |
| 1991 | 0.6% | -22.5% |
| 1992 | 0.8% | +30.6% |
| 1993 | 0.7% | -13.7% |
| 1994 | 0.7% | +3.2% |
| 1995 | 0.7% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 0.7% | -8.7% |
| 1997 | 0.6% | -18.3% |
| 1998 | 0.5% | -14.5% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -10.4% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | -12.0% |
| 2001 | 0.3% | -22.3% |
| 2002 | 0.3% | -13.7% |
| 2003 | 0.2% | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +33.4% |
| 2005 | 0.4% | +11.7% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | -6.0% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | +9.1% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | +31.2% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | -3.5% |
| 2010 | 0.6% | +28.1% |
| 2011 | 1.0% | +60.1% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | +19.2% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 1.2% | +2.8% |
| 2015 | 1.3% | +9.3% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | +39.7% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | +13.5% |
| 2018 | 2.0% | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 1.8% | -8.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 8 |
| 1970s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.2% | 0.5% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 0.6% | 2.1% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago
More economy & growth data for Trinidad and Tobago
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 2.73 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2.79 Percent per annum (2029)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate -11.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.2121 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 3,974 current US$ per person (2024)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate -2.37 % change on previous year (2023)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1899 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current US$), per capita 3,476 current US$ per person (2023)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current LCU), per unit of GDP 1.28 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Gross fixed capital formation (current LCU), per capita 23,464 current LCU per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Trinidad and Tobago was 1.8% 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 Trinidad and Tobago?
- The highest recorded value was 2.1% in 2017.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1974.
- How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Trinidad and Tobago ranks 54th out of 172 countries with data for 2019.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
- Over the last ten years it is up 283.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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).