Military spending in Syria

Syria: Military spending was 3.22 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2016. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2016)
3.22 billion constant 2022 US$
Change on year
up 5.5%
World rank
62nd
of 172 countries
All-time high
8.10 billion constant 2022 US$
in 1985
All-time low
123.27 million constant 2022 US$
in 1947
Years of data
69
1946–2016

Military spending in Syria, 1946–2016

02.0B4.0B6.0B8.0B194619812016

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

Analysis

Syria recorded 3.22 billion constant 2022 US$ for military spending in 2016.

That represents a change of up 5.5% on the previous year and up 62.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending in Syria peaked at 8.10 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1985 and was at its lowest, 123.27 million constant 2022 US$, in 1947.

That places Syria 62nd out of 172 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1940s 163.17 million constant 2022 US$ 123.27 million constant 2022 US$ 225.66 million constant 2022 US$ 4
1950s 310.85 million constant 2022 US$ 207.10 million constant 2022 US$ 545.90 million constant 2022 US$ 9
1960s 808.94 million constant 2022 US$ 607.30 million constant 2022 US$ 1.18 billion constant 2022 US$ 9
1970s 2.77 billion constant 2022 US$ 1.18 billion constant 2022 US$ 5.61 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
1980s 6.35 billion constant 2022 US$ 4.55 billion constant 2022 US$ 8.10 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
1990s 3.40 billion constant 2022 US$ 1.87 billion constant 2022 US$ 5.95 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
2000s 2.05 billion constant 2022 US$ 1.87 billion constant 2022 US$ 2.55 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
2010s 2.93 billion constant 2022 US$ 2.63 billion constant 2022 US$ 3.22 billion constant 2022 US$ 7

Countries ranked near Syria

  1. 59 New Zealand 3.61 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  2. 60 Peru 3.56 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  3. 61 Myanmar 3.30 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  4. 63 Ecuador 3.12 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  5. 64 Jordan 2.86 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  6. 65 Slovakia 2.71 billion constant 2022 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 172 places →

More reference data data for Syria

All data for Syria →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending in Syria?
Military spending in Syria was 3.22 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2016, 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 Syria?
The highest recorded value was 8.10 billion constant 2022 US$ in 1985.
What is the lowest military spending recorded in Syria?
The lowest recorded value was 123.27 million constant 2022 US$ in 1947.
How does Syria rank for military spending?
Syria ranks 62nd out of 172 countries with data for 2016.
Is military spending rising or falling in Syria?
Over the last ten years it is up 62.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Syria 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 — 69 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.