Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Germany

Germany: Military expenditure as a share of government spending was 4.5 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
4.5
Change on year
up 20.9%
World rank
98th
of 162 countries
All-time high
4.5
in 2025
All-time low
2.51
in 2015
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Germany, 1991–2025

012341991200820251991: 4.21992: 3.91993: 3.51994: 3.21995: 2.71996: 2.91997: 2.91998: 2.91999: 2.82000: 2.82001: 2.72002: 2.72003: 2.72004: 2.72005: 2.62006: 2.62007: 2.62008: 2.72009: 2.72010: 2.62011: 2.62012: 2.72013: 2.62014: 2.52015: 2.52016: 2.52017: 2.52018: 2.62019: 2.72020: 2.72021: 2.62022: 2.72023: 3.12024: 3.72025: 4.5

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2025, military expenditure as a share of government spending in Germany stood at 4.5. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.

The figure is up 20.9% on the previous year and up 79.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military expenditure as a share of government spending in Germany peaked at 4.5 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.51, in 2015.

That places Germany 98th 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 35 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Germany, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 4.24
1992 3.88 -8.6%
1993 3.47 -10.5%
1994 3.18 -8.4%
1995 2.69 -15.3%
1996 2.94 +9.2%
1997 2.88 -2.2%
1998 2.86 -0.6%
1999 2.85 -0.5%
2000 2.8 -1.7%
2001 2.74 -1.9%
2002 2.72 -0.8%
2003 2.68 -1.7%
2004 2.66 -0.5%
2005 2.63 -1.2%
2006 2.6 -1.1%
2007 2.65 +1.8%
2008 2.68 +1.1%
2009 2.66 -0.6%
2010 2.58 -3.0%
2011 2.61 +1.2%
2012 2.7 +3.4%
2013 2.57 -4.7%
2014 2.53 -1.5%
2015 2.51 -1.1%
2016 2.52 +0.7%
2017 2.54 +0.5%
2018 2.57 +1.2%
2019 2.72 +5.9%
2020 2.65 -2.6%
2021 2.56 -3.4%
2022 2.75 +7.3%
2023 3.12 +13.6%
2024 3.72 +19.1%
2025 4.5 +20.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.22 2.69 4.24 9
2000s 2.68 2.6 2.8 10
2010s 2.59 2.51 2.72 10
2020s 3.22 2.56 4.5 6

Countries ranked near Germany

  1. 95 Equatorial Guinea 4.68 compare
  2. 96 Guinea-Bissau 4.66 compare
  3. 97 Kenya 4.63 compare
  4. 99 Zambia 4.5 compare
  5. 100 Nepal 4.48 compare
  6. 101 Malaysia 4.43 compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for Germany

All data for Germany →

Frequently asked questions

What is military expenditure as a share of government spending in Germany?
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Germany was 4.5 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Germany?
The highest recorded value was 4.5 in 2025.
What is the lowest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Germany?
The lowest recorded value was 2.51 in 2015.
How does Germany rank for military expenditure as a share of government spending?
Germany ranks 98th out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
Is military expenditure as a share of government spending rising or falling in Germany?
Over the last ten years it is up 79.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Germany 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 Germany. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-expenditure-as-a-share-of-government-spending/germany/

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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