Military spending as a share of GDP in Iran, Islamic Republic of
Iran, Islamic Republic of: Military spending as a share of GDP was 2.1% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
2.1%
Change on year
down 5.7%
World rank
67th
of 166 countries
All-time high
12.1%
in 1975
All-time low
1.7%
in 1993
Years of data
66
1960–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in Iran, Islamic Republic of, 1960–2025
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 Iran, Islamic Republic of stood at 2.1%.
That represents a change of down 5.7% on the previous year and down 18.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Iran, Islamic Republic of peaked at 12.1% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 1.7%, in 1993.
That places Iran, Islamic Republic of 67th 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 2.3% | — |
| 1961 | 2.3% | +2.3% |
| 1962 | 2.3% | -1.7% |
| 1963 | 2.6% | +12.3% |
| 1964 | 2.9% | +11.3% |
| 1965 | 3.2% | +12.8% |
| 1966 | 3.8% | +17.5% |
| 1967 | 4.5% | +16.7% |
| 1968 | 5.2% | +16.1% |
| 1969 | 6.0% | +15.3% |
| 1970 | 5.9% | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 3.0% | -48.0% |
| 1972 | 2.3% | -25.3% |
| 1973 | 1.9% | -18.0% |
| 1974 | 8.8% | +369.3% |
| 1975 | 12.1% | +37.9% |
| 1976 | 11.2% | -6.8% |
| 1977 | 10.2% | -9.4% |
| 1978 | 11.1% | +9.1% |
| 1979 | 5.8% | -47.8% |
| 1980 | 5.3% | -7.8% |
| 1981 | 8.2% | +53.3% |
| 1982 | 7.9% | -3.5% |
| 1983 | 7.1% | -10.2% |
| 1984 | 6.4% | -10.5% |
| 1985 | 6.5% | +2.5% |
| 1986 | 6.1% | -6.7% |
| 1987 | 5.9% | -3.1% |
| 1988 | 6.3% | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 4.6% | -27.3% |
| 1990 | 2.9% | -35.4% |
| 1991 | 2.2% | -26.3% |
| 1992 | 1.8% | -17.5% |
| 1993 | 1.7% | -5.0% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | +21.9% |
| 1995 | 2.2% | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 2.2% | +4.2% |
| 1997 | 2.5% | +11.3% |
| 1998 | 2.6% | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 2.4% | -8.5% |
| 2000 | 2.3% | -4.6% |
| 2001 | 2.4% | +5.4% |
| 2002 | 2.2% | -10.1% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | +10.6% |
| 2004 | 2.8% | +17.9% |
| 2005 | 3.0% | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 3.3% | +9.2% |
| 2007 | 2.7% | -19.9% |
| 2008 | 2.7% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 3.0% | +13.6% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | -8.6% |
| 2011 | 2.4% | -14.5% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | +12.8% |
| 2013 | 2.2% | -18.8% |
| 2014 | 2.1% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +20.8% |
| 2016 | 2.8% | +9.4% |
| 2017 | 2.8% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 2.4% | -17.2% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | -8.9% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | +6.5% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 2.5% | +11.4% |
| 2024 | 2.2% | -11.0% |
| 2025 | 2.1% | -5.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3.5% | 2.3% | 6.0% | 10 |
| 1970s | 7.2% | 1.9% | 12.1% | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.4% | 4.6% | 8.2% | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 1.7% | 2.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.2% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 2.1% | 2.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran, Islamic Republic of
More economy & growth data for Iran, Islamic Republic of
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.48 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 2 Percent per annum (2029)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), annual growth rate -28.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.4177 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current US$), per capita 1,639 current US$ per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), annual growth rate 17.88 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per unit of GDP 310,206 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Gross capital formation (current LCU), per capita 1.22 billion current LCU per person (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate -10.46 % change on previous year (2025)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.5082 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Iran, Islamic Republic of was 2.1% 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 Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The highest recorded value was 12.1% in 1975.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.7% in 1993.
- How does Iran, Islamic Republic of rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Iran, Islamic Republic of ranks 67th out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Iran, Islamic Republic of?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iran, Islamic Republic of 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.