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Military spending as a share of government spending in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Military spending as a share of government spending was 4.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
4.9%
Change on year
down 25.4%
World rank
88th
of 162 countries
All-time high
19.5%
in 1996
All-time low
4.9%
in 2025
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Military spending as a share of government spending in Sri Lanka, 1990–2025

51015201990200720251990: 7.5 % of government spending1991: 9.5 % of government spending1992: 12 % of government spending1993: 12.1 % of government spending1994: 12.6 % of government spending1995: 19.3 % of government spending1996: 19.5 % of government spending1997: 17.7 % of government spending1998: 17.8 % of government spending1999: 16.1 % of government spending2000: 18.9 % of government spending2001: 15.6 % of government spending2002: 13.6 % of government spending2003: 12.5 % of government spending2004: 13.2 % of government spending2005: 11.1 % of government spending2006: 11.5 % of government spending2007: 13.9 % of government spending2008: 16.4 % of government spending2009: 14.6 % of government spending2010: 13.5 % of government spending2011: 13.5 % of government spending2012: 12.1 % of government spending2013: 12.5 % of government spending2014: 13.5 % of government spending2015: 12.5 % of government spending2016: 10.9 % of government spending2017: 11.1 % of government spending2018: 9.9 % of government spending2019: 9 % of government spending2020: 8.4 % of government spending2021: 8.6 % of government spending2022: 7.3 % of government spending2023: 6.8 % of government spending2024: 6.6 % of government spending2025: 4.9 % of government spending

Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of government spending.

Analysis

The most recent figure for military spending as a share of government spending in Sri Lanka is 4.9%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.4% on the previous year and down 60.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending as a share of government spending in Sri Lanka peaked at 19.5% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 4.9%, in 2025.

That places Sri Lanka 88th 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 spending as a share of government spending in Sri Lanka, year by year

Year % of government spending Change
1990 7.5% —
1991 9.5% +27.0%
1992 12.0% +25.4%
1993 12.1% +1.3%
1994 12.6% +4.5%
1995 19.3% +53.0%
1996 19.5% +1.0%
1997 17.7% -9.5%
1998 17.8% +0.4%
1999 16.1% -9.6%
2000 18.9% +17.9%
2001 15.6% -17.4%
2002 13.6% -13.1%
2003 12.5% -7.7%
2004 13.2% +4.9%
2005 11.1% -15.8%
2006 11.5% +4.1%
2007 13.9% +20.3%
2008 16.4% +18.6%
2009 14.6% -11.5%
2010 13.5% -7.1%
2011 13.5% -0.0%
2012 12.1% -10.6%
2013 12.5% +3.5%
2014 13.5% +7.9%
2015 12.5% -7.2%
2016 10.9% -13.4%
2017 11.1% +1.7%
2018 9.9% -10.5%
2019 9.0% -8.9%
2020 8.4% -6.8%
2021 8.6% +2.5%
2022 7.3% -15.7%
2023 6.8% -6.6%
2024 6.6% -2.5%
2025 4.9% -25.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 14.4% 7.5% 19.5% 10
2000s 14.1% 11.1% 18.9% 10
2010s 11.9% 9.0% 13.5% 10
2020s 7.1% 4.9% 8.6% 6

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 85 China 5.1% compare
  2. 86 Sweden 5.0% compare
  3. 87 Afghanistan 5.0% compare
  4. 89 Australia 4.9% compare
  5. 90 Netherlands 4.8% compare
  6. 91 Benin 4.8% compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending as a share of government spending in Sri Lanka?
Military spending as a share of government spending in Sri Lanka was 4.9% 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 Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 19.5% in 1996.
What is the lowest military spending as a share of government spending recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 4.9% in 2025.
How does Sri Lanka rank for military spending as a share of government spending?
Sri Lanka ranks 88th out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
Is military spending as a share of government spending rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 60.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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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Military spending as a share of government spending in Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-expenditure-as-a-share-of-government-spending/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Military spending as a share of government spending
Unit
% of government spending
Source
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
162 places, 4,946 data points, 1988–2025
Last refreshed

Total military expenditure divided by government spending.