Military spending as a share of GDP in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Military spending as a share of GDP was 0.4% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
0.4%
Change on year
up 12.9%
World rank
159th
of 166 countries
All-time high
1.6%
in 1976
All-time low
0.3%
in 2024
Years of data
48
1975–2025
Military spending as a share of GDP in Papua New Guinea, 1975–2025
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 Papua New Guinea stood at 0.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.9% on the previous year and down 23.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Papua New Guinea peaked at 1.6% in 1976 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2024.
That places Papua New Guinea 159th out of 166 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 0.6% | — |
| 1976 | 1.6% | +170.3% |
| 1977 | 1.3% | -23.4% |
| 1978 | 1.3% | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 1.2% | -4.4% |
| 1980 | 1.4% | +15.9% |
| 1981 | 1.4% | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 1.6% | +10.6% |
| 1986 | 1.6% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 1.6% | +2.9% |
| 1988 | 1.3% | -21.4% |
| 1989 | 1.5% | +18.2% |
| 1990 | 1.4% | -5.2% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | -34.8% |
| 1992 | 0.9% | -3.7% |
| 1993 | 0.9% | +3.0% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | +10.4% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -23.5% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | +31.2% |
| 1997 | 1.1% | +5.7% |
| 1998 | 0.9% | -18.2% |
| 1999 | 0.7% | -21.4% |
| 2000 | 0.6% | -7.6% |
| 2001 | 0.5% | -14.4% |
| 2002 | 0.4% | -32.1% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | -7.0% |
| 2004 | 0.4% | +12.5% |
| 2005 | 0.4% | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 0.4% | -9.5% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | +9.2% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | -18.1% |
| 2009 | 0.4% | +32.9% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -27.4% |
| 2011 | 0.4% | +9.8% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | +45.5% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -4.8% |
| 2014 | 0.5% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -5.1% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | -17.1% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 0.3% | -7.0% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | +9.8% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | -16.2% |
| 2022 | 0.4% | +27.7% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | -16.7% |
| 2024 | 0.3% | -11.5% |
| 2025 | 0.4% | +12.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.2% | 0.6% | 1.6% | 5 |
| 1980s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 7 |
| 1990s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 1.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 156 Malta 0.4% compare
- 157 Kazakhstan 0.4% compare
- 158 Sierra Leone 0.4% compare
- 160 Ireland 0.2% compare
- 161 Lao People's Democratic Republic 0.2% compare
- 162 Mauritius 0.1% compare
More economy & growth data for Papua New Guinea
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 1.47 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 3.11 Percent per annum (2029)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), annual growth rate -6.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.1151 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total reserves minus gold (current US$), per capita 335.13 current US$ per person (2024)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$) 11.47 % change on previous year (2004)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 0.1531 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2004)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current US$), per 95.04 current US$ per person (2004)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU) 1.06 % change on previous year (2004)
- General government final consumption expenditure (current LCU), per 0.4934 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2004)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Papua New Guinea?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Papua New Guinea was 0.4% 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 Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.6% in 1976.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2024.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 159th out of 166 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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.