Military spending in Cuba
Cuba: Military spending was 155.63 million constant 2022 US$ in 2018. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2018)
155.63 million constant 2022 US$
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
136th
of 172 countries
All-time high
3.33 billion constant 2022 US$
in 1979
All-time low
699,428 constant 2022 US$
in 1994
Years of data
115
1902–2018
Military spending in Cuba, 1902–2018
Source: Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
Cuba recorded 155.63 million constant 2022 US$ for military spending in 2018.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 89.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in Cuba peaked at 3.33 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1979 and was at its lowest, 699,428 constant 2022 US$, in 1994.
That places Cuba 136th out of 172 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending in Cuba, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1902 | 465.78 million constant 2022 US$ | — |
| 1903 | 501.19 million constant 2022 US$ | +7.6% |
| 1904 | 542.38 million constant 2022 US$ | +8.2% |
| 1905 | 607.64 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.0% |
| 1906 | 665.28 million constant 2022 US$ | +9.5% |
| 1909 | 707.85 million constant 2022 US$ | +6.4% |
| 1910 | 695.81 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.7% |
| 1911 | 721.13 million constant 2022 US$ | +3.6% |
| 1912 | 688.88 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.5% |
| 1913 | 745.01 million constant 2022 US$ | +8.1% |
| 1914 | 555.45 million constant 2022 US$ | -25.4% |
| 1915 | 551.81 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.7% |
| 1916 | 488.53 million constant 2022 US$ | -11.5% |
| 1917 | 383.36 million constant 2022 US$ | -21.5% |
| 1918 | 307.35 million constant 2022 US$ | -19.8% |
| 1919 | 229.61 million constant 2022 US$ | -25.3% |
| 1920 | 182.64 million constant 2022 US$ | -20.5% |
| 1921 | 205.94 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.8% |
| 1922 | 178.42 million constant 2022 US$ | -13.4% |
| 1923 | 156.91 million constant 2022 US$ | -12.1% |
| 1924 | 143.54 million constant 2022 US$ | -8.5% |
| 1925 | 160.76 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.0% |
| 1926 | 164.90 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.6% |
| 1927 | 167.43 million constant 2022 US$ | +1.5% |
| 1928 | 177.17 million constant 2022 US$ | +5.8% |
| 1929 | 170.36 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.8% |
| 1930 | 167.99 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.4% |
| 1931 | 161.56 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.8% |
| 1932 | 160.90 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.4% |
| 1933 | 162.37 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.9% |
| 1934 | 223.87 million constant 2022 US$ | +37.9% |
| 1935 | 239.56 million constant 2022 US$ | +7.0% |
| 1936 | 279.07 million constant 2022 US$ | +16.5% |
| 1937 | 268.80 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.7% |
| 1938 | 316.28 million constant 2022 US$ | +17.7% |
| 1939 | 297.73 million constant 2022 US$ | -5.9% |
| 1940 | 305.65 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.7% |
| 1941 | 290.79 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.9% |
| 1942 | 264.33 million constant 2022 US$ | -9.1% |
| 1943 | 256.05 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.1% |
| 1944 | 277.83 million constant 2022 US$ | +8.5% |
| 1945 | 320.28 million constant 2022 US$ | +15.3% |
| 1946 | 277.50 million constant 2022 US$ | -13.4% |
| 1947 | 253.63 million constant 2022 US$ | -8.6% |
| 1948 | 228.07 million constant 2022 US$ | -10.1% |
| 1949 | 305.16 million constant 2022 US$ | +33.8% |
| 1950 | 406.90 million constant 2022 US$ | +33.3% |
| 1951 | 429.46 million constant 2022 US$ | +5.5% |
| 1952 | 481.36 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.1% |
| 1953 | 478.93 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.5% |
| 1954 | 481.24 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.5% |
| 1955 | 462.49 million constant 2022 US$ | -3.9% |
| 1956 | 474.49 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.6% |
| 1957 | 474.81 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.1% |
| 1958 | 500.10 million constant 2022 US$ | +5.3% |
| 1959 | 882.98 million constant 2022 US$ | +76.6% |
| 1960 | 1.19 billion constant 2022 US$ | +34.3% |
| 1961 | 1.39 billion constant 2022 US$ | +17.6% |
| 1962 | 1.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | +8.7% |
| 1963 | 1.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | +1.7% |
| 1964 | 1.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | -0.1% |
| 1965 | 1.46 billion constant 2022 US$ | -5.0% |
| 1966 | 1.42 billion constant 2022 US$ | -3.3% |
| 1967 | 1.41 billion constant 2022 US$ | -0.7% |
| 1968 | 1.48 billion constant 2022 US$ | +5.1% |
| 1969 | 1.38 billion constant 2022 US$ | -6.8% |
| 1970 | 1.34 billion constant 2022 US$ | -2.3% |
| 1971 | 1.42 billion constant 2022 US$ | +5.6% |
| 1972 | 1.39 billion constant 2022 US$ | -2.0% |
| 1973 | 1.32 billion constant 2022 US$ | -5.5% |
| 1974 | 1.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | -4.8% |
| 1975 | 1.42 billion constant 2022 US$ | +13.4% |
| 1976 | 2.42 billion constant 2022 US$ | +70.4% |
| 1977 | 2.68 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.9% |
| 1978 | 3.15 billion constant 2022 US$ | +17.5% |
| 1979 | 3.33 billion constant 2022 US$ | +5.5% |
| 1980 | 2.87 billion constant 2022 US$ | -13.6% |
| 1981 | 2.99 billion constant 2022 US$ | +4.2% |
| 1982 | 2.99 billion constant 2022 US$ | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 3.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.0% |
| 1984 | 3.15 billion constant 2022 US$ | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 2.96 billion constant 2022 US$ | -6.1% |
| 1986 | 2.97 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 3.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.7% |
| 1988 | 3.02 billion constant 2022 US$ | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 2.87 billion constant 2022 US$ | -4.7% |
| 1990 | 2.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | -11.6% |
| 1991 | 2.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | -18.2% |
| 1992 | 1.24 billion constant 2022 US$ | -40.3% |
| 1993 | 989.74 million constant 2022 US$ | -20.2% |
| 1994 | 699,428 constant 2022 US$ | -99.9% |
| 1995 | 1.13 billion constant 2022 US$ | +161379.1% |
| 1996 | 1.09 billion constant 2022 US$ | -3.2% |
| 1997 | 1.17 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.0% |
| 1998 | 1.17 billion constant 2022 US$ | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 1.22 billion constant 2022 US$ | +4.2% |
| 2000 | 1.26 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.3% |
| 2001 | 1.41 billion constant 2022 US$ | +12.4% |
| 2002 | 1.48 billion constant 2022 US$ | +4.6% |
| 2003 | 1.34 billion constant 2022 US$ | -9.5% |
| 2004 | 1.23 billion constant 2022 US$ | -7.9% |
| 2005 | 1.18 billion constant 2022 US$ | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 1.26 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.5% |
| 2007 | 1.37 billion constant 2022 US$ | +9.1% |
| 2008 | 1.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | +10.8% |
| 2009 | 1.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | +28.5% |
| 2010 | 117.44 million constant 2022 US$ | -94.0% |
| 2011 | 114.91 million constant 2022 US$ | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 127.14 million constant 2022 US$ | +10.6% |
| 2013 | 130.74 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 144.22 million constant 2022 US$ | +10.3% |
| 2015 | 145.93 million constant 2022 US$ | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 139.30 million constant 2022 US$ | -4.5% |
| 2017 | 155.96 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.0% |
| 2018 | 155.63 million constant 2022 US$ | -0.2% |
Cuba compared with similar countries
- Cuba's 155.63 million constant 2022 US$ is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.25 billion constant 2022 US$, 12% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Cuba's 155.63 million constant 2022 US$ is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 509.92 million constant 2022 US$, 31% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending in Cuba changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +161379.1% | 699,428 constant 2022 US$ | 1.13 billion constant 2022 US$ |
| 1994 | -99.9% | 989.74 million constant 2022 US$ | 699,428 constant 2022 US$ |
| 2010 | -94.0% | 1.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | 117.44 million constant 2022 US$ |
| 1959 | +76.6% | 500.10 million constant 2022 US$ | 882.98 million constant 2022 US$ |
| 1976 | +70.4% | 1.42 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.42 billion constant 2022 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 581.69 million constant 2022 US$ | 465.78 million constant 2022 US$ | 707.85 million constant 2022 US$ | 6 |
| 1910s | 536.69 million constant 2022 US$ | 229.61 million constant 2022 US$ | 745.01 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1920s | 170.81 million constant 2022 US$ | 143.54 million constant 2022 US$ | 205.94 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1930s | 227.81 million constant 2022 US$ | 160.90 million constant 2022 US$ | 316.28 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1940s | 277.93 million constant 2022 US$ | 228.07 million constant 2022 US$ | 320.28 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1950s | 507.28 million constant 2022 US$ | 406.90 million constant 2022 US$ | 882.98 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.43 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.19 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.97 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.25 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.33 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.00 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.87 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.15 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.26 billion constant 2022 US$ | 699,428 constant 2022 US$ | 2.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.18 billion constant 2022 US$ | 1.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 136.81 million constant 2022 US$ | 114.91 million constant 2022 US$ | 155.96 million constant 2022 US$ | 9 |
Countries ranked near Cuba
- 133 Rwanda 218.10 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 134 Equatorial Guinea 195.85 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 135 Tajikistan 177.78 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 137 Mongolia 153.56 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 138 Somalia 149.19 million constant 2022 US$ compare
- 139 Malawi 142.12 million constant 2022 US$ compare
More reference data data for Cuba
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.529 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0696 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9214 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 9.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3791 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in Cuba?
- Military spending in Cuba was 155.63 million constant 2022 US$ in 2018, according to Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in Cuba?
- The highest recorded value was 3.33 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1979.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in Cuba?
- The lowest recorded value was 699,428 constant 2022 US$ in 1994.
- How does Cuba rank for military spending?
- Cuba ranks 136th out of 172 countries with data for 2018.
- Is military spending rising or falling in Cuba?
- Over the last ten years it is down 89.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Cuba data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 115 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.