Military spending as a share of government spending in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Military spending as a share of government spending was 5.0% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Military spending as a share of government spending in Afghanistan, 2004–2020
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government spending.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 5.0% for military spending as a share of government spending in 2020.
The figure is up 16.3% on the previous year and down 46.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of government spending in Afghanistan peaked at 16.1% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 3.7%, in 2017.
Afghanistan ranks 87th of 162 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending as a share of government spending in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | % of government spending | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 16.1% | — |
| 2005 | 12.7% | -21.1% |
| 2006 | 10.4% | -18.4% |
| 2007 | 12.0% | +15.2% |
| 2008 | 11.2% | -6.6% |
| 2009 | 9.9% | -11.7% |
| 2010 | 9.4% | -5.2% |
| 2011 | 8.3% | -11.3% |
| 2012 | 4.7% | -43.4% |
| 2013 | 4.3% | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 5.1% | +18.5% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | -25.0% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 3.7% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 3.7% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 4.3% | +14.8% |
| 2020 | 5.0% | +16.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 12.0% | 9.9% | 16.1% | 6 |
| 2010s | 5.1% | 3.7% | 9.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More reference data data for Afghanistan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.8991 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4362 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 6.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.847 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 18.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.38 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of government spending in Afghanistan?
- Military spending as a share of government spending in Afghanistan was 5.0% in 2020, 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 government spending recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 16.1% in 2004.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of government spending recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.7% in 2017.
- How does Afghanistan rank for military spending as a share of government spending?
- Afghanistan ranks 87th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is military spending as a share of government spending rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan 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 government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by government spending.