Military spending as a share of GDP in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Military spending as a share of GDP was 0.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
0.8%
Change on year
down 5.9%
World rank
138th
of 166 countries
All-time high
1.6%
in 1977
All-time low
0.6%
in 1974
Years of data
53
1973–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in Bangladesh, 1973–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded 0.8% for military spending as a share of gdp in 2025.
The figure is down 5.9% on the previous year and down 44.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Bangladesh peaked at 1.6% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1974.
That places Bangladesh 138th out of 166 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 53 years of available data.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 0.7% | — |
| 1974 | 0.6% | -8.0% |
| 1975 | 0.8% | +39.8% |
| 1976 | 1.5% | +80.4% |
| 1977 | 1.6% | +3.0% |
| 1978 | 1.3% | -19.2% |
| 1979 | 0.8% | -33.4% |
| 1980 | 0.7% | -12.5% |
| 1981 | 0.8% | +13.4% |
| 1982 | 1.0% | +16.2% |
| 1983 | 1.2% | +23.8% |
| 1984 | 1.1% | -9.5% |
| 1985 | 1.0% | -11.4% |
| 1986 | 1.0% | +6.7% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | +2.6% |
| 1988 | 1.1% | +7.4% |
| 1989 | 1.2% | +4.2% |
| 1990 | 1.1% | -6.4% |
| 1991 | 1.1% | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 1.2% | +10.3% |
| 1993 | 1.3% | +6.7% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | +9.3% |
| 1995 | 1.4% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -2.0% |
| 1997 | 1.4% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 1.4% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 1.4% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 1.4% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 1.3% | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 1.2% | -7.0% |
| 2003 | 1.2% | -3.7% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 1.2% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 1.2% | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | -5.9% |
| 2009 | 1.2% | +9.7% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | +15.1% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 1.3% | -5.7% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | +6.3% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | -14.9% |
| 2017 | 1.1% | -8.1% |
| 2018 | 1.2% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | -6.5% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -14.8% |
| 2023 | 0.9% | -13.4% |
| 2024 | 0.9% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 0.8% | -5.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.0% | 0.6% | 1.6% | 7 |
| 1980s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.0% | 0.8% | 1.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
- 135 Liberia 0.9% compare
- 136 Luxembourg 0.9% compare
- 137 Peru 0.8% compare
- 139 Dominican Republic 0.8% compare
- 140 Côte d'Ivoire 0.8% compare
- 141 Switzerland 0.8% compare
More economy & growth data for Bangladesh
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 6.09 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 7 Percent per annum (2029)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 13.52 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 87.28 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 226,708 current LCU per person (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 6.57 % change on previous year (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 0.5358 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Households and NPISHs Final consumption expenditure (constant 2015) 1,392 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), annual growth rate 4.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Final consumption expenditure (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.7802 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Bangladesh?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Bangladesh was 0.8% in 2025, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 1977.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1974.
- How does Bangladesh rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Bangladesh ranks 138th out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – 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
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About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.