Military spending as a share of government spending in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: Military spending as a share of government spending was 17.0% in 2014. ▼ Falling

Latest (2014)
17.0%
Change on year
down 14.4%
World rank
15th
of 162 countries
All-time high
26.2%
in 2000
All-time low
15.6%
in 2009
Years of data
18
1997–2014

Military spending as a share of government spending in United Arab Emirates, 1997–2014

01020301997200520141997: 19.2 % of government spending1998: 20.6 % of government spending1999: 20.7 % of government spending2000: 26.2 % of government spending2001: 22.2 % of government spending2002: 22.9 % of government spending2003: 23.4 % of government spending2004: 26 % of government spending2005: 23.2 % of government spending2006: 20.6 % of government spending2007: 18.6 % of government spending2008: 16.7 % of government spending2009: 15.6 % of government spending2010: 18.7 % of government spending2011: 17.5 % of government spending2012: 17.4 % of government spending2013: 19.9 % of government spending2014: 17 % of government spending

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

Analysis

United Arab Emirates recorded 17.0% for military spending as a share of government spending in 2014.

That represents a change of down 14.4% on the previous year and down 34.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending as a share of government spending in United Arab Emirates peaked at 26.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15.6%, in 2009.

United Arab Emirates ranks 15th of 162 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.

Military spending as a share of government spending in United Arab Emirates, year by year

Annual values for Military spending as a share of government spending in United Arab Emirates, 1997 to 2014.
Year % of government spending Change
1997 19.2%
1998 20.6% +7.6%
1999 20.7% +0.2%
2000 26.2% +26.8%
2001 22.2% -15.0%
2002 22.9% +2.7%
2003 23.4% +2.4%
2004 26.0% +11.3%
2005 23.2% -10.8%
2006 20.6% -11.1%
2007 18.6% -10.0%
2008 16.7% -10.1%
2009 15.6% -6.7%
2010 18.7% +20.2%
2011 17.5% -6.4%
2012 17.4% -0.7%
2013 19.9% +14.3%
2014 17.0% -14.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 20.1% 19.2% 20.7% 3
2000s 21.5% 15.6% 26.2% 10
2010s 18.1% 17.0% 19.9% 5

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 12 Singapore 18.0% compare
  2. 13 Israel 17.8% compare
  3. 14 Azerbaijan 17.7% compare
  4. 16 Lebanon 16.6% compare
  5. 17 Chad 15.5% compare
  6. 18 Niger 15.2% compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for United Arab Emirates

All data for United Arab Emirates →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending as a share of government spending in United Arab Emirates?
Military spending as a share of government spending in United Arab Emirates was 17.0% in 2014, 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 United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 26.2% in 2000.
What is the lowest military spending as a share of government spending recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 15.6% in 2009.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for military spending as a share of government spending?
United Arab Emirates ranks 15th out of 162 countries with data for 2014.
Is military spending as a share of government spending rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is down 34.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Arab Emirates 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 United Arab Emirates. Statizoid, drawing on Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-expenditure-as-a-share-of-government-spending/united-arab-emirates/

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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.