Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Malaysia

Malaysia: Military expenditure as a share of government spending was 4.43 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
4.43
Change on year
up 2.0%
World rank
101st
of 162 countries
All-time high
11.23
in 1994
All-time low
3.65
in 2022
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Malaysia, 1990–2025

46810121990200720251990: 7.81991: 10.71992: 9.71993: 10.71994: 11.21995: 11.21996: 9.81997: 9.11998: 6.41999: 7.82000: 5.92001: 6.82002: 7.52003: 8.62004: 82005: 8.52006: 7.52007: 7.62008: 6.82009: 6.12010: 5.62011: 5.72012: 52013: 5.42014: 5.52015: 6.12016: 6.12017: 52018: 4.22019: 3.82020: 42021: 42022: 3.72023: 3.92024: 4.32025: 4.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Malaysia recorded 4.43 for military expenditure as a share of government spending in 2025.

The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 27.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military expenditure as a share of government spending in Malaysia peaked at 11.23 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 3.65, in 2022.

That places Malaysia 101st 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 36 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Malaysia, 1990 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1990 7.8
1991 10.72 +37.4%
1992 9.72 -9.4%
1993 10.73 +10.3%
1994 11.23 +4.7%
1995 11.18 -0.5%
1996 9.84 -11.9%
1997 9.05 -8.0%
1998 6.38 -29.5%
1999 7.83 +22.8%
2000 5.86 -25.2%
2001 6.78 +15.8%
2002 7.51 +10.7%
2003 8.55 +13.9%
2004 8.03 -6.1%
2005 8.46 +5.4%
2006 7.49 -11.4%
2007 7.57 +0.9%
2008 6.78 -10.4%
2009 6.06 -10.6%
2010 5.6 -7.5%
2011 5.73 +2.3%
2012 4.96 -13.5%
2013 5.4 +8.9%
2014 5.53 +2.4%
2015 6.09 +10.1%
2016 6.06 -0.5%
2017 4.99 -17.6%
2018 4.21 -15.6%
2019 3.79 -10.0%
2020 3.99 +5.3%
2021 4.02 +0.7%
2022 3.65 -9.1%
2023 3.93 +7.6%
2024 4.34 +10.5%
2025 4.43 +2.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.45 6.38 11.23 10
2000s 7.31 5.86 8.55 10
2010s 5.24 3.79 6.09 10
2020s 4.06 3.65 4.43 6

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 98 Germany 4.5 compare
  2. 99 Zambia 4.5 compare
  3. 100 Nepal 4.48 compare
  4. 102 Thailand 4.43 compare
  5. 103 Finland 4.41 compare
  6. 104 El Salvador 4.39 compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is military expenditure as a share of government spending in Malaysia?
Military expenditure as a share of government spending in Malaysia was 4.43 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 11.23 in 1994.
What is the lowest military expenditure as a share of government spending recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 3.65 in 2022.
How does Malaysia rank for military expenditure as a share of government spending?
Malaysia ranks 101st out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
Is military expenditure as a share of government spending rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia 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 Malaysia. 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/malaysia/

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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