Military spending in Kuwait

Kuwait: Military spending was 9.79 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
9.79 billion constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
33rd
of 172 countries
All-time high
25.97 billion constant 2022 US$
in 1991
All-time low
116.56 million constant 2022 US$
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023

Military spending in Kuwait, 1961–2023

010.0B20.0B30.0B196119922023

Source: Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.

Analysis

In 2023, military spending in Kuwait stood at 9.79 billion constant 2022 US$.

That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 72.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending in Kuwait peaked at 25.97 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1991 and was at its lowest, 116.56 million constant 2022 US$, in 1961.

Kuwait ranks 33rd of 172 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 347.62 million constant 2022 US$ 116.56 million constant 2022 US$ 792.27 million constant 2022 US$ 9
1970s 1.93 billion constant 2022 US$ 756.79 million constant 2022 US$ 3.09 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
1980s 3.17 billion constant 2022 US$ 2.97 billion constant 2022 US$ 3.41 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
1990s 11.07 billion constant 2022 US$ 4.92 billion constant 2022 US$ 25.97 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
2000s 5.50 billion constant 2022 US$ 5.08 billion constant 2022 US$ 6.46 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
2010s 6.70 billion constant 2022 US$ 5.47 billion constant 2022 US$ 9.26 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
2020s 9.64 billion constant 2022 US$ 9.31 billion constant 2022 US$ 10.00 billion constant 2022 US$ 4

Countries ranked near Kuwait

  1. 30 Norway 10.47 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  2. 31 Iran 10.44 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  3. 32 Sweden 9.90 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  4. 34 Greece 9.38 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  5. 35 Belgium 8.46 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  6. 36 Denmark 8.01 billion constant 2022 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 172 places →

More reference data data for Kuwait

All data for Kuwait →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending in Kuwait?
Military spending in Kuwait was 9.79 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023, 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 Kuwait?
The highest recorded value was 25.97 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1991.
What is the lowest military spending recorded in Kuwait?
The lowest recorded value was 116.56 million constant 2022 US$ in 1961.
How does Kuwait rank for military spending?
Kuwait ranks 33rd out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
Is military spending rising or falling in Kuwait?
Over the last ten years it is up 72.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Kuwait 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 — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Military spending
Unit
constant 2022 US$
Source
Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
172 places, 15,402 data points, 1816–2023
Last refreshed

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.