Military spending in Malaysia
Malaysia: Military spending was 4.68 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
4.68 billion constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
53rd
of 172 countries
All-time high
5.52 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2013
All-time low
301.29 million constant 2022 US$
in 1961
Years of data
67
1957–2023
Military spending in Malaysia, 1957–2023
Source: Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
Malaysia recorded 4.68 billion constant 2022 US$ for military spending in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in Malaysia peaked at 5.52 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2013 and was at its lowest, 301.29 million constant 2022 US$, in 1961.
That places Malaysia 53rd out of 172 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1957 | 415.59 million constant 2022 US$ | — |
| 1958 | 428.15 million constant 2022 US$ | +3.0% |
| 1959 | 359.33 million constant 2022 US$ | -16.1% |
| 1960 | 331.66 million constant 2022 US$ | -7.7% |
| 1961 | 301.29 million constant 2022 US$ | -9.2% |
| 1962 | 325.10 million constant 2022 US$ | +7.9% |
| 1963 | 394.21 million constant 2022 US$ | +21.3% |
| 1964 | 536.19 million constant 2022 US$ | +36.0% |
| 1965 | 708.98 million constant 2022 US$ | +32.2% |
| 1966 | 799.63 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.8% |
| 1967 | 787.98 million constant 2022 US$ | -1.5% |
| 1968 | 805.60 million constant 2022 US$ | +2.2% |
| 1969 | 806.35 million constant 2022 US$ | +0.1% |
| 1970 | 908.38 million constant 2022 US$ | +12.7% |
| 1971 | 1.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | +19.3% |
| 1972 | 1.46 billion constant 2022 US$ | +34.6% |
| 1973 | 1.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | -3.9% |
| 1974 | 1.50 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.9% |
| 1975 | 1.59 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.3% |
| 1976 | 1.51 billion constant 2022 US$ | -5.4% |
| 1977 | 1.89 billion constant 2022 US$ | +25.4% |
| 1978 | 2.06 billion constant 2022 US$ | +8.9% |
| 1979 | 2.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | +22.3% |
| 1980 | 3.18 billion constant 2022 US$ | +26.5% |
| 1981 | 3.69 billion constant 2022 US$ | +15.9% |
| 1982 | 3.94 billion constant 2022 US$ | +6.9% |
| 1983 | 3.30 billion constant 2022 US$ | -16.2% |
| 1984 | 2.72 billion constant 2022 US$ | -17.6% |
| 1985 | 2.63 billion constant 2022 US$ | -3.3% |
| 1986 | 2.33 billion constant 2022 US$ | -11.5% |
| 1987 | 2.23 billion constant 2022 US$ | -4.2% |
| 1988 | 2.16 billion constant 2022 US$ | -3.3% |
| 1989 | 2.19 billion constant 2022 US$ | +1.7% |
| 1990 | 2.44 billion constant 2022 US$ | +11.4% |
| 1991 | 3.01 billion constant 2022 US$ | +23.2% |
| 1992 | 3.69 billion constant 2022 US$ | +22.6% |
| 1993 | 4.04 billion constant 2022 US$ | +9.5% |
| 1994 | 4.08 billion constant 2022 US$ | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 4.48 billion constant 2022 US$ | +9.7% |
| 1996 | 4.40 billion constant 2022 US$ | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 3.92 billion constant 2022 US$ | -11.0% |
| 1998 | 3.09 billion constant 2022 US$ | -21.3% |
| 1999 | 3.44 billion constant 2022 US$ | +11.4% |
| 2000 | 3.41 billion constant 2022 US$ | -0.8% |
| 2001 | 3.65 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.1% |
| 2002 | 3.66 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 3.95 billion constant 2022 US$ | +8.0% |
| 2004 | 4.16 billion constant 2022 US$ | +5.2% |
| 2005 | 4.06 billion constant 2022 US$ | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 4.37 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.4% |
| 2007 | 4.85 billion constant 2022 US$ | +11.1% |
| 2008 | 5.03 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.8% |
| 2009 | 4.71 billion constant 2022 US$ | -6.5% |
| 2010 | 4.71 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 5.13 billion constant 2022 US$ | +8.9% |
| 2012 | 5.16 billion constant 2022 US$ | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 5.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | +7.1% |
| 2014 | 5.49 billion constant 2022 US$ | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 5.34 billion constant 2022 US$ | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 4.67 billion constant 2022 US$ | -12.5% |
| 2017 | 4.66 billion constant 2022 US$ | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 4.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 4.71 billion constant 2022 US$ | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 4.56 billion constant 2022 US$ | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 4.34 billion constant 2022 US$ | -4.7% |
| 2022 | 4.58 billion constant 2022 US$ | +5.4% |
| 2023 | 4.68 billion constant 2022 US$ | +2.3% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 4.68 billion constant 2022 US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.25 billion constant 2022 US$, 3.7× the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 4.68 billion constant 2022 US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 4.15 billion constant 2022 US$, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 401.02 million constant 2022 US$ | 359.33 million constant 2022 US$ | 428.15 million constant 2022 US$ | 3 |
| 1960s | 579.70 million constant 2022 US$ | 301.29 million constant 2022 US$ | 806.35 million constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.59 billion constant 2022 US$ | 908.38 million constant 2022 US$ | 2.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.84 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.16 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.94 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.66 billion constant 2022 US$ | 2.44 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.48 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.18 billion constant 2022 US$ | 3.41 billion constant 2022 US$ | 5.03 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.99 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | 5.52 billion constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.54 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.34 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4.68 billion constant 2022 US$ | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7102 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5869 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1487 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8098 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in Malaysia?
- Military spending in Malaysia was 4.68 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 5.52 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2013.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 301.29 million constant 2022 US$ in 1961.
- How does Malaysia rank for military spending?
- Malaysia ranks 53rd out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 — 67 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.