Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Iran
Iran: Military expenditure as a share of government spending was 11.16 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
11.16
Change on year
down 6.5%
World rank
29th
of 162 countries
All-time high
19.32
in 2012
All-time low
5.14
in 1993
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Iran, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, military expenditure as a share of government spending in Iran stood at 11.16.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.5% on the previous year and down 28.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure as a share of government spending in Iran peaked at 19.32 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 5.14, in 1993.
That places Iran 29th out of 162 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 14.48 | — |
| 1991 | 12.49 | -13.8% |
| 1992 | 9.9 | -20.7% |
| 1993 | 5.14 | -48.1% |
| 1994 | 7.6 | +47.9% |
| 1995 | 8.5 | +11.8% |
| 1996 | 10.65 | +25.3% |
| 1997 | 11.87 | +11.4% |
| 1998 | 12.94 | +9.1% |
| 1999 | 12.57 | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 14.04 | +11.7% |
| 2001 | 14.57 | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 11.1 | -23.8% |
| 2003 | 12.13 | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 14.9 | +22.8% |
| 2005 | 13.61 | -8.6% |
| 2006 | 14.32 | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 15.25 | +6.5% |
| 2008 | 12.98 | -14.9% |
| 2009 | 15.69 | +20.9% |
| 2010 | 15.97 | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 13.01 | -18.5% |
| 2012 | 19.32 | +48.5% |
| 2013 | 15.61 | -19.2% |
| 2014 | 14.8 | -5.2% |
| 2015 | 15.55 | +5.0% |
| 2016 | 15.41 | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 16.05 | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 14.62 | -8.9% |
| 2019 | 14.59 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 14.45 | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 14.1 | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 14.04 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 14.89 | +6.1% |
| 2024 | 11.93 | -19.9% |
| 2025 | 11.16 | -6.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.61 | 5.14 | 14.48 | 10 |
| 2000s | 13.86 | 11.1 | 15.69 | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.49 | 13.01 | 19.32 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.43 | 11.16 | 14.89 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 26 Central African Republic 12.46 compare
- 27 Taiwan 12.36 compare
- 28 Brunei 12.15 compare
- 30 Uzbekistan 11.06 compare
- 31 Bahrain 10.8 compare
- 32 South Korea 10.79 compare
More reference data data for Iran
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 11.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.84 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 46.54 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 109.46 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 7.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure as a share of government spending in Iran?
- Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Iran was 11.16 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 19.32 in 2012.
- What is the lowest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.14 in 1993.
- How does Iran rank for military expenditure as a share of government spending?
- Iran ranks 29th out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure as a share of government spending rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Iran 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 — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).