Military spending as a share of GDP in Qatar
Qatar: Military spending as a share of GDP was 6.5% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military spending as a share of GDP in Qatar, 1980–2022
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
Qatar recorded 6.5% for military spending as a share of gdp in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 341.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of gdp in Qatar peaked at 24.8% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2010.
Qatar ranks 7th of 166 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending as a share of GDP in Qatar, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 7.9% | — |
| 1981 | 12.2% | +55.3% |
| 1982 | 19.3% | +57.8% |
| 1983 | 14.0% | -27.6% |
| 1984 | 12.7% | -8.8% |
| 1985 | 24.8% | +95.1% |
| 1987 | 15.9% | -36.0% |
| 1988 | 16.3% | +2.4% |
| 1989 | 13.1% | -19.6% |
| 1990 | 10.7% | -17.8% |
| 1991 | 13.0% | +21.1% |
| 2002 | 3.9% | -69.8% |
| 2003 | 3.3% | -15.2% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -27.0% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | -18.1% |
| 2006 | 1.8% | -12.2% |
| 2007 | 2.0% | +12.0% |
| 2008 | 2.0% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 2.0% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 1.5% | -26.0% |
| 2021 | 6.5% | +337.8% |
| 2022 | 6.5% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.1% | 7.9% | 24.8% | 9 |
| 1990s | 11.9% | 10.7% | 13.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 1.8% | 3.9% | 8 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
| 2020s | 6.5% | 6.5% | 6.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Qatar
- 4 Israel 7.8% compare
- 5 Russian Federation 7.5% compare
- 6 Myanmar 6.6% compare
- 8 Saudi Arabia 6.5% compare
- 9 Azerbaijan 6.5% compare
- 10 Armenia 6.1% compare
More economy & growth data for Qatar
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 04 - Annual real GDP 0.9074 Percent per annum (2029)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 02 - Annual real GDP 1.61 Percent per annum (2029)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per unit of GDP 0.0788 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current US$), per capita 5,714 current US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per unit of GDP 0.2868 current LCU per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (current LCU), per capita 20,800 current LCU per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per unit of GDP 0.0713 constant 2015 US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant 2015 US$), per capita 5,168 constant 2015 US$ per person (2025)
- Manufacturing, value added (constant LCU), per capita 18,430 constant LCU per person (2025)
- Industry (including construction), value added (current US$), annual -3.26 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of gdp in Qatar?
- Military spending as a share of gdp in Qatar was 6.5% in 2022, 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 Qatar?
- The highest recorded value was 24.8% in 1985.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of gdp recorded in Qatar?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2010.
- How does Qatar rank for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Qatar ranks 7th out of 166 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military spending as a share of gdp rising or falling in Qatar?
- Over the last ten years it is up 341.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Qatar 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 — 22 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.