Military spending as a share of GDP in Nepal
Nepal: Military spending as a share of GDP was 1.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Military spending as a share of GDP in Nepal, 1970–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending as a share of gdp in Nepal is 1.0%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 5.8% on the previous year and down 29.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Nepal peaked at 1.7% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1970.
That places Nepal 126th out of 166 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Nepal, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.6% | — |
| 1971 | 0.6% | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 0.6% | +4.8% |
| 1973 | 0.7% | +1.6% |
| 1974 | 0.6% | -7.7% |
| 1975 | 0.7% | +12.3% |
| 1976 | 0.9% | +25.5% |
| 1977 | 0.9% | +4.2% |
| 1978 | 0.9% | -3.8% |
| 1979 | 0.9% | +6.1% |
| 1980 | 1.0% | +13.3% |
| 1981 | 1.0% | -3.9% |
| 1982 | 1.1% | +9.8% |
| 1983 | 1.3% | +15.0% |
| 1984 | 1.2% | -2.6% |
| 1985 | 1.2% | -2.0% |
| 1986 | 1.2% | -1.1% |
| 1987 | 1.2% | -2.0% |
| 1988 | 0.9% | -23.8% |
| 1989 | 0.9% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 0.9% | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | -1.3% |
| 1993 | 0.8% | -2.6% |
| 1994 | 0.8% | -5.1% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -3.2% |
| 1996 | 0.7% | -4.3% |
| 1997 | 0.7% | -2.2% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 0.8% | +1.6% |
| 2001 | 1.0% | +22.5% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | +31.8% |
| 2003 | 1.4% | +10.0% |
| 2004 | 1.6% | +12.6% |
| 2005 | 1.7% | +7.6% |
| 2006 | 1.5% | -9.3% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | -11.5% |
| 2008 | 1.4% | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 1.4% | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -5.0% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 1.2% | -7.9% |
| 2013 | 1.3% | +7.8% |
| 2014 | 1.4% | +6.9% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | -4.6% |
| 2016 | 1.5% | +7.4% |
| 2017 | 1.5% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | -9.1% |
| 2019 | 1.2% | -8.5% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 1.2% | -8.1% |
| 2022 | 1.1% | -5.6% |
| 2023 | 1.1% | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 1.0% | -8.8% |
| 2025 | 1.0% | -5.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7% | 0.6% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.1% | 0.9% | 1.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.3% | 0.8% | 1.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.0% | 1.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More economy & growth data for Nepal
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 4.28 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 5.25 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 4,364 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual 5 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 0.1205 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), per 185.08 current US$ per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), annual 7.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 16.42 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current LCU), per 25,225 current LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (constant 2015 US$) 3.31 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Nepal?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Nepal was 1.0% 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.7% in 2005.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1970.
- How does Nepal rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Nepal ranks 126th out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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.