Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Belgium

Belgium: Military expenditure as a share of government spending was 3.67 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
3.67
Change on year
up 55.3%
World rank
126th
of 162 countries
All-time high
4.64
in 1988
All-time low
1.68
in 2016
Years of data
38
1988–2025

Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Belgium, 1988–2025

0123451988200620251988: 4.61989: 4.51990: 4.31991: 4.11992: 3.21993: 31994: 31995: 2.91996: 2.91997: 2.81998: 2.81999: 2.82000: 2.72001: 2.62002: 2.52003: 2.42004: 2.32005: 2.12006: 2.22007: 2.32008: 2.42009: 2.12010: 22011: 1.92012: 1.82013: 1.82014: 1.72015: 1.72016: 1.72017: 1.72018: 1.72019: 1.72020: 1.72021: 1.92022: 2.22023: 2.22024: 2.42025: 3.7

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Belgium recorded 3.67 for military expenditure as a share of government spending in 2025.

The figure is up 55.3% on the previous year and up 117.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military expenditure as a share of government spending in Belgium peaked at 4.64 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 1.68, in 2016.

Belgium ranks 126th of 162 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.

Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Belgium, 1988 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1988 4.64
1989 4.47 -3.6%
1990 4.28 -4.3%
1991 4.06 -5.1%
1992 3.24 -20.3%
1993 3.01 -7.2%
1994 3.03 +0.8%
1995 2.93 -3.2%
1996 2.86 -2.4%
1997 2.83 -1.3%
1998 2.78 -1.6%
1999 2.76 -0.8%
2000 2.73 -0.9%
2001 2.6 -4.9%
2002 2.45 -5.7%
2003 2.39 -2.4%
2004 2.35 -2.0%
2005 2.11 -9.8%
2006 2.16 +2.4%
2007 2.26 +4.5%
2008 2.41 +6.4%
2009 2.14 -11.3%
2010 2.02 -5.2%
2011 1.9 -6.0%
2012 1.84 -3.1%
2013 1.8 -2.5%
2014 1.75 -2.9%
2015 1.69 -3.1%
2016 1.68 -0.5%
2017 1.7 +0.8%
2018 1.71 +0.4%
2019 1.71 +0.4%
2020 1.72 +0.5%
2021 1.9 +10.3%
2022 2.22 +17.2%
2023 2.22 -0.1%
2024 2.37 +6.5%
2025 3.67 +55.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 4.55 4.47 4.64 2
1990s 3.18 2.76 4.28 10
2000s 2.36 2.11 2.73 10
2010s 1.78 1.68 2.02 10
2020s 2.35 1.72 3.67 6

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 123 Italy 3.74 compare
  2. 124 Belize 3.69 compare
  3. 125 Canada 3.69 compare
  4. 127 Peru 3.65 compare
  5. 128 France 3.53 compare
  6. 129 Guatemala 3.49 compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is military expenditure as a share of government spending in Belgium?
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Belgium was 3.67 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 4.64 in 1988.
What is the lowest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 1.68 in 2016.
How does Belgium rank for military expenditure as a share of government spending?
Belgium ranks 126th out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
Is military expenditure as a share of government spending rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 117.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium 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.

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Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-expenditure-as-a-share-of-government-spending/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Military expenditure as a share of government spending
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
162 places, 4,946 data points, 1988–2025
Last refreshed