Military spending as a share of GDP in Denmark
Denmark: Military spending as a share of GDP was 3.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
3.3%
Change on year
up 43.4%
World rank
27th
of 166 countries
All-time high
3.4%
in 1953
All-time low
1.1%
in 2015
Years of data
76
1950–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in Denmark, 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 Denmark stood at 3.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 43.4% on the previous year and up 191.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Denmark peaked at 3.4% in 1953 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2015.
That places Denmark 27th out of 166 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 76 years of available data.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Denmark, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 1.7% | — |
| 1951 | 2.1% | +23.3% |
| 1952 | 2.7% | +33.4% |
| 1953 | 3.4% | +22.8% |
| 1954 | 3.2% | -5.0% |
| 1955 | 3.2% | -0.4% |
| 1956 | 3.0% | -4.9% |
| 1957 | 3.1% | +1.7% |
| 1958 | 2.9% | -6.6% |
| 1959 | 2.6% | -10.0% |
| 1960 | 2.7% | +5.4% |
| 1961 | 2.6% | -5.2% |
| 1962 | 3.0% | +16.7% |
| 1963 | 3.0% | +0.8% |
| 1964 | 2.8% | -6.5% |
| 1965 | 2.8% | -0.4% |
| 1966 | 2.6% | -6.9% |
| 1967 | 2.6% | -1.8% |
| 1968 | 2.7% | +3.4% |
| 1969 | 2.4% | -10.6% |
| 1970 | 2.4% | +1.6% |
| 1971 | 2.4% | -2.8% |
| 1972 | 2.2% | -7.7% |
| 1973 | 2.0% | -9.4% |
| 1974 | 2.2% | +13.1% |
| 1975 | 2.4% | +7.3% |
| 1976 | 2.2% | -8.1% |
| 1977 | 2.2% | +0.5% |
| 1978 | 2.3% | +2.5% |
| 1979 | 2.3% | -0.9% |
| 1980 | 2.4% | +5.0% |
| 1981 | 2.4% | +3.2% |
| 1982 | 2.4% | -0.8% |
| 1983 | 2.4% | -2.3% |
| 1984 | 2.2% | -5.5% |
| 1985 | 2.1% | -5.9% |
| 1986 | 1.9% | -7.6% |
| 1987 | 2.0% | +4.5% |
| 1988 | 2.1% | +2.7% |
| 1989 | 2.0% | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 2.0% | -3.6% |
| 1991 | 1.9% | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 1.9% | -3.4% |
| 1993 | 1.9% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 1.7% | -7.0% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 1.6% | -2.4% |
| 1997 | 1.6% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 1.6% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | -2.7% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | -6.8% |
| 2001 | 1.5% | +5.0% |
| 2002 | 1.5% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | -2.8% |
| 2004 | 1.4% | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 1.3% | -7.9% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 1.3% | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | +3.9% |
| 2011 | 1.3% | -6.1% |
| 2012 | 1.4% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 1.2% | -9.6% |
| 2014 | 1.1% | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 1.1% | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 1.2% | +3.3% |
| 2017 | 1.1% | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | +12.6% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | +5.7% |
| 2021 | 1.3% | -5.5% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | +5.3% |
| 2023 | 2.0% | +47.1% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | +12.7% |
| 2025 | 3.3% | +43.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.8% | 1.7% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.7% | 2.4% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.3% | 2.0% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.2% | 1.9% | 2.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 2.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.2% | 1.1% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.3% | 3.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More economy & growth data for Denmark
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.9574 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.4 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 94,268 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 12.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.2484 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 19,120 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 7.67 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 1.64 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 126,610 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 6.79 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Denmark?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Denmark was 3.3% 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 Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 1953.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2015.
- How does Denmark rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Denmark ranks 27th out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is up 191.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Denmark 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.
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About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.