Iran vs Kuwait: Military spending
Iran
10.44 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2023
Kuwait
9.79 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2023
Iran rank
31st
Kuwait rank
33rd
Military spending over time
- Iran
- Kuwait
How they compare
Iran currently reports 10.44 billion constant 2022 US$ against 9.79 billion constant 2022 US$ in Kuwait, a difference of 650.06 million constant 2022 US$.
That makes Iran's figure about 1.1 times Kuwait's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 63 shared years of data; in 1961 it was Iran ahead.
Iran ranks 31st and Kuwait ranks 33rd of 172 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Iran averaged higher in 6 and Kuwait in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iran | Kuwait | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2.43 billion constant 2022 US$ | 347.62 million constant 2022 US$ | 2.09 billion constant 2022 US$ | Iran |
| 1970s | 18.89 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.93 billion constant 2022 US$ | 16.96 billion constant 2022 US$ | Iran |
| 1980s | 16.17 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.17 billion constant 2022 US$ | 13.00 billion constant 2022 US$ | Iran |
| 1990s | 6.85 billion constant 2022 US$ | 11.07 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.22 billion constant 2022 US$ | Kuwait |
| 2000s | 8.58 billion constant 2022 US$ | 5.50 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | Iran |
| 2010s | 17.15 billion constant 2022 US$ | 6.70 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10.46 billion constant 2022 US$ | Iran |
| 2020s | 9.87 billion constant 2022 US$ | 9.64 billion constant 2022 US$ | 226.51 million constant 2022 US$ | Iran |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending, Iran or Kuwait?
- Iran, at 10.44 billion constant 2022 US$ against 9.79 billion constant 2022 US$ in Kuwait as of 2023.
- What is the difference in military spending between Iran and Kuwait?
- 650.06 million constant 2022 US$, with Iran ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iran and Kuwait?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2023.
- How do Iran and Kuwait rank globally for military spending?
- Iran ranks 31st and Kuwait ranks 33rd of 172 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.