Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Australia
Australia: Military expenditure as a share of government spending was 4.89 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Australia, 1988–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure as a share of government spending in Australia is 4.89, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure as a share of government spending in Australia peaked at 7.04 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 4.51, in 2013.
That places Australia 89th out of 162 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 7.04 | — |
| 1989 | 6.92 | -1.8% |
| 1990 | 6.79 | -1.8% |
| 1991 | 6.55 | -3.6% |
| 1992 | 6.36 | -2.9% |
| 1993 | 6.38 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 6.26 | -1.9% |
| 1995 | 6 | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 5.76 | -4.0% |
| 1997 | 5.69 | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 5.39 | -5.2% |
| 1999 | 5.21 | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 5.18 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 5.23 | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 5.35 | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 5.28 | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 5.24 | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 5.2 | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 5.26 | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 5.28 | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 5.13 | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 5.09 | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 5.02 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 4.84 | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 4.57 | -5.4% |
| 2013 | 4.51 | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 4.82 | +7.0% |
| 2015 | 5.24 | +8.6% |
| 2016 | 5.61 | +7.0% |
| 2017 | 5.45 | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 5.14 | -5.7% |
| 2019 | 4.83 | -6.0% |
| 2020 | 4.52 | -6.5% |
| 2021 | 4.74 | +4.7% |
| 2022 | 5.02 | +5.9% |
| 2023 | 4.96 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 4.9 | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 4.89 | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.98 | 6.92 | 7.04 | 2 |
| 1990s | 6.04 | 5.21 | 6.79 | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.23 | 5.09 | 5.35 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5 | 4.51 | 5.61 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.84 | 4.52 | 5.02 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More reference data data for Australia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 28.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 38.41 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.07 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 118.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 170.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.9 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure as a share of government spending in Australia?
- Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Australia was 4.89 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 7.04 in 1988.
- What is the lowest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.51 in 2013.
- How does Australia rank for military expenditure as a share of government spending?
- Australia ranks 89th out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure as a share of government spending rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Military expenditure as a share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).