Military spending as a share of GDP in Canada
Canada: Military spending as a share of GDP was 1.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
1.6%
Change on year
up 20.7%
World rank
91st
of 166 countries
All-time high
7.4%
in 1953
All-time low
1.0%
in 2013
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in Canada, 1950–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
In 2025, military spending as a share of gdp in Canada stood at 1.6%.
That represents a change of up 20.7% on the previous year and up 39.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Canada peaked at 7.4% in 1953 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2013.
That places Canada 91st out of 166 countries with data for 2025, 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 Canada, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.4% | — |
| 1951 | 4.7% | +92.1% |
| 1952 | 6.8% | +45.8% |
| 1953 | 7.4% | +8.5% |
| 1954 | 6.9% | -6.9% |
| 1955 | 6.2% | -10.0% |
| 1956 | 5.7% | -8.0% |
| 1957 | 5.3% | -5.9% |
| 1958 | 4.9% | -7.7% |
| 1959 | 4.4% | -10.9% |
| 1960 | 4.2% | -4.9% |
| 1961 | 4.1% | -1.4% |
| 1962 | 4.0% | -3.1% |
| 1963 | 3.6% | -9.5% |
| 1964 | 3.4% | -6.0% |
| 1965 | 2.9% | -13.9% |
| 1966 | 2.7% | -8.4% |
| 1967 | 2.7% | +2.4% |
| 1968 | 2.5% | -7.4% |
| 1969 | 2.3% | -10.6% |
| 1970 | 2.2% | -3.7% |
| 1971 | 2.1% | -2.6% |
| 1972 | 2.0% | -5.6% |
| 1973 | 1.8% | -8.9% |
| 1974 | 1.8% | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 1.9% | +4.5% |
| 1976 | 1.8% | -5.2% |
| 1977 | 1.8% | +2.3% |
| 1978 | 1.8% | +2.4% |
| 1979 | 1.7% | -7.4% |
| 1980 | 1.8% | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 1.7% | -3.1% |
| 1982 | 2.0% | +14.3% |
| 1983 | 2.1% | +6.5% |
| 1984 | 2.1% | +1.7% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 2.1% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 2.1% | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 2.0% | -3.7% |
| 1989 | 1.9% | -2.6% |
| 1990 | 2.0% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 1.9% | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 1.9% | -1.8% |
| 1993 | 1.8% | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 1.7% | -6.9% |
| 1995 | 1.6% | -8.4% |
| 1996 | 1.4% | -9.7% |
| 1997 | 1.2% | -11.2% |
| 1998 | 1.3% | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 1.2% | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 1.1% | -10.3% |
| 2001 | 1.1% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 1.1% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 1.1% | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 1.1% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 1.1% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 1.2% | +5.6% |
| 2008 | 1.2% | +5.0% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | +10.6% |
| 2010 | 1.2% | -13.3% |
| 2011 | 1.2% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 1.1% | -6.3% |
| 2013 | 1.0% | -10.4% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | +8.9% |
| 2015 | 1.2% | +7.3% |
| 2016 | 1.1% | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | +13.5% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -2.5% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +16.1% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | -13.8% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | -6.5% |
| 2023 | 1.3% | +15.2% |
| 2024 | 1.3% | +2.6% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | +20.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 5.5% | 2.4% | 7.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 3.3% | 2.3% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.9% | 1.7% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.0% | 1.7% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.6% | 1.2% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More economy & growth data for Canada
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.8812 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.66 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 5,089 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 16.22 % change on previous year (2022)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.2735 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 15,452 current US$ per person (2022)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 20.64 % change on previous year (2022)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 0.356 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 20,112 current LCU per person (2022)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Canada?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Canada was 1.6% 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 7.4% in 1953.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2013.
- How does Canada rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Canada ranks 91st out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 39.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada 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
CSV · JSON — 76 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.