Military spending as a share of government spending in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Military spending as a share of government spending was 1.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Military spending as a share of government spending in Papua New Guinea, 1988–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government spending.
Analysis
In 2025, military spending as a share of government spending in Papua New Guinea stood at 1.6%.
That represents a change of up 12.0% on the previous year and down 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending as a share of government spending in Papua New Guinea peaked at 5.9% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2024.
Papua New Guinea ranks 153rd of 162 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending as a share of government spending in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | % of government spending | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 4.5% | — |
| 1989 | 4.5% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 5.9% | +29.7% |
| 1991 | 4.2% | -28.6% |
| 1992 | 4.0% | -5.5% |
| 1993 | 4.0% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 5.3% | +34.8% |
| 1995 | 4.6% | -13.6% |
| 1996 | 5.9% | +27.6% |
| 1997 | 5.3% | -9.7% |
| 1998 | 4.5% | -16.1% |
| 1999 | 3.3% | -26.5% |
| 2000 | 3.2% | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -18.7% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | -27.8% |
| 2003 | 1.9% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | +6.2% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | -4.3% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | +18.5% |
| 2008 | 1.7% | -25.3% |
| 2009 | 1.8% | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 1.8% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 1.8% | +2.6% |
| 2012 | 2.3% | +27.8% |
| 2013 | 1.8% | -22.7% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | +12.4% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -9.3% |
| 2017 | 1.9% | +5.9% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -15.9% |
| 2019 | 1.7% | +4.8% |
| 2020 | 1.7% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | -10.3% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | +28.0% |
| 2023 | 1.5% | -23.2% |
| 2024 | 1.4% | -3.4% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | +12.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.5% | 4.5% | 4.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.7% | 3.3% | 5.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.1% | 1.7% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.6% | 2.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.6% | 1.4% | 1.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
- 150 Austria 2.0% compare
- 151 Argentina 1.8% compare
- 152 Luxembourg 1.8% compare
- 154 Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.6% compare
- 155 Republic of Moldova 1.4% compare
- 156 Malta 1.3% compare
More reference data data for Papua New Guinea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2042 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0498 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.3515 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0007 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.3515 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6846 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.5295 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2811 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0038 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending as a share of government spending in Papua New Guinea?
- Military spending as a share of government spending in Papua New Guinea was 1.6% in 2025, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending as a share of government spending recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1996.
- What is the lowest military spending as a share of government spending recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2024.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for military spending as a share of government spending?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 153rd out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending as a share of government spending rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending as a share of government spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total military expenditure divided by government spending.