Netherlands vs Spain: Military spending as a share of government spending
Netherlands
4.8%
in 2025
Spain
4.7%
in 2025
Netherlands rank
90th
Spain rank
92nd
Military spending as a share of government spending over time
- Netherlands
- Spain
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 4.8% against 4.7% in Spain, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1988 it was Spain ahead.
Netherlands ranks 90th and Spain ranks 92nd of 162 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.9% | 5.9% | 1.0% | Spain |
| 1990s | 3.9% | 4.4% | 0.5% | Spain |
| 2000s | 3.1% | 3.7% | 0.5% | Spain |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.9% | 0.2% | Spain |
| 2020s | 3.6% | 3.3% | 0.3% | Netherlands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of government spending, Netherlands or Spain?
- Netherlands, at 4.8% against 4.7% in Spain as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of government spending between Netherlands and Spain?
- 0.1%, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Spain?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1988 to 2025.
- How do Netherlands and Spain rank globally for military spending as a share of government spending?
- Netherlands ranks 90th and Spain ranks 92nd of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of government spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by government spending.