Military spending as a share of GDP in Lebanon
Lebanon: Military spending as a share of GDP was 2.5% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
2.5%
Change on year
up 11.5%
World rank
47th
of 166 countries
All-time high
13.5%
in 1983
All-time low
1.0%
in 2022
Years of data
59
1964–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in Lebanon, 1964–2025
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 Lebanon stood at 2.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.5% on the previous year and down 44.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Lebanon peaked at 13.5% in 1983 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2022.
That places Lebanon 47th 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 Lebanon, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 3.7% | — |
| 1965 | 3.9% | +6.4% |
| 1966 | 4.2% | +7.1% |
| 1967 | 4.8% | +16.3% |
| 1968 | 4.8% | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 4.6% | -4.1% |
| 1970 | 4.3% | -6.6% |
| 1971 | 4.0% | -7.7% |
| 1972 | 5.1% | +27.2% |
| 1973 | 3.8% | -25.0% |
| 1976 | 12.1% | +217.8% |
| 1977 | 4.7% | -61.0% |
| 1978 | 8.5% | +79.4% |
| 1979 | 10.1% | +18.6% |
| 1980 | 12.4% | +22.7% |
| 1981 | 9.6% | -22.4% |
| 1982 | 9.3% | -3.1% |
| 1983 | 13.5% | +44.9% |
| 1984 | 11.0% | -18.5% |
| 1985 | 6.3% | -42.7% |
| 1986 | 5.3% | -16.3% |
| 1987 | 1.1% | -78.7% |
| 1988 | 1.2% | +5.8% |
| 1990 | 7.6% | +536.4% |
| 1991 | 5.2% | -31.7% |
| 1992 | 8.0% | +54.9% |
| 1993 | 6.0% | -24.7% |
| 1994 | 7.0% | +16.4% |
| 1995 | 6.7% | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 5.7% | -15.6% |
| 1997 | 4.3% | -24.0% |
| 1998 | 4.0% | -6.5% |
| 1999 | 4.8% | +18.6% |
| 2000 | 5.4% | +13.0% |
| 2001 | 5.4% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 4.8% | -12.7% |
| 2003 | 4.7% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 4.5% | -3.5% |
| 2005 | 4.5% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 4.6% | +2.3% |
| 2007 | 4.6% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 4.0% | -13.5% |
| 2009 | 4.0% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 4.1% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 4.0% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 4.7% | +14.3% |
| 2015 | 4.5% | -5.0% |
| 2016 | 5.1% | +13.6% |
| 2017 | 4.6% | -9.7% |
| 2018 | 5.1% | +9.8% |
| 2019 | 4.7% | -6.3% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | -36.1% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | -61.2% |
| 2022 | 1.0% | -13.9% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | +18.8% |
| 2024 | 2.3% | +87.2% |
| 2025 | 2.5% | +11.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 4.3% | 3.7% | 4.8% | 6 |
| 1970s | 6.6% | 3.8% | 12.1% | 8 |
| 1980s | 7.7% | 1.1% | 13.5% | 9 |
| 1990s | 5.9% | 4.0% | 8.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.7% | 4.0% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.5% | 4.0% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.0% | 3.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Lebanon
More economy & growth data for Lebanon
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.87 Percent per annum (2022)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP -0 Percent per annum (2022)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), annual growth rate -31.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.0035 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Gross capital formation (constant 2015 US$), per capita 15.49 constant 2015 US$ per person (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), annual growth rate 3.47 % change on previous year (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.5892 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (current US$), per capita 2,635 current US$ per person (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), annual growth rate 7.89 % change on previous year (2024)
- Imports of goods and services (current LCU), per unit of GDP 52,730 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Lebanon?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Lebanon was 2.5% 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 Lebanon?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 1983.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Lebanon?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2022.
- How does Lebanon rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Lebanon ranks 47th out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Lebanon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 44.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lebanon 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 — 59 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.