Military spending as a share of GDP in Iraq
Iraq: Military spending as a share of GDP was 2.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
2.4%
Change on year
up 7.7%
World rank
51st
of 166 countries
All-time high
12.5%
in 1974
All-time low
1.6%
in 2022
Years of data
47
1957–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in Iraq, 1957–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Iraq recorded 2.4% for military spending as a share of gdp in 2025.
The figure is up 7.7% on the previous year and down 54.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Iraq peaked at 12.5% in 1974 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 2022.
That places Iraq 51st 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 Iraq, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 6.5% | — |
| 1958 | 6.1% | -7.1% |
| 1959 | 6.7% | +10.5% |
| 1960 | 7.1% | +5.0% |
| 1961 | 6.9% | -2.8% |
| 1962 | 6.9% | +0.9% |
| 1963 | 8.3% | +19.4% |
| 1964 | 8.0% | -3.6% |
| 1965 | 8.9% | +11.5% |
| 1966 | 8.5% | -4.0% |
| 1967 | 8.4% | -1.1% |
| 1968 | 9.2% | +9.4% |
| 1969 | 11.4% | +23.4% |
| 1970 | 11.2% | -1.9% |
| 1971 | 10.5% | -5.8% |
| 1972 | 10.6% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 12.3% | +15.2% |
| 1974 | 12.5% | +1.9% |
| 1975 | 11.7% | -6.6% |
| 1976 | 11.2% | -4.4% |
| 1977 | 9.8% | -12.1% |
| 1978 | 8.1% | -17.3% |
| 1979 | 6.1% | -24.3% |
| 1980 | 5.5% | -10.4% |
| 1981 | 10.8% | +96.5% |
| 2004 | 1.7% | -84.5% |
| 2005 | 2.2% | +33.8% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | -15.4% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | +18.0% |
| 2008 | 2.4% | +5.7% |
| 2009 | 2.9% | +22.4% |
| 2010 | 2.7% | -6.5% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | -15.0% |
| 2012 | 1.9% | -17.5% |
| 2013 | 3.3% | +74.6% |
| 2014 | 3.0% | -11.0% |
| 2015 | 5.4% | +83.5% |
| 2016 | 3.6% | -34.4% |
| 2017 | 3.9% | +10.1% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | -29.6% |
| 2019 | 3.2% | +17.6% |
| 2020 | 3.1% | -3.9% |
| 2021 | 2.3% | -27.3% |
| 2022 | 1.6% | -27.5% |
| 2023 | 2.3% | +38.0% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | +0.4% |
| 2025 | 2.4% | +7.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 6.4% | 6.1% | 6.7% | 3 |
| 1960s | 8.3% | 6.9% | 11.4% | 10 |
| 1970s | 10.4% | 6.1% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.2% | 5.5% | 10.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.2% | 1.7% | 2.9% | 6 |
| 2010s | 3.2% | 1.9% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 1.6% | 3.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
- 48 Tunisia 2.5% compare
- 49 Uzbekistan 2.5% compare
- 50 Sweden 2.5% compare
- 52 Belarus 2.4% compare
- 53 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2.4% compare
- 54 Central African Republic 2.3% compare
More economy & growth data for Iraq
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.44 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.56 Percent per annum (2029)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate 24.81 % change on previous year (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.3533 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (constant 2015 US$), per capita 2,146 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- External balance on goods and services (current US$), annual growth -74.66 % change on previous year (2024)
- External balance on goods and services (current LCU), annual growth -74.96 % change on previous year (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), annual -8.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 44.38 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current LCU), per 240,070 current LCU per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Iraq?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Iraq was 2.4% 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 12.5% in 1974.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 2022.
- How does Iraq rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Iraq ranks 51st out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iraq 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 — 47 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.