Military spending in United Arab Emirates

United Arab Emirates: Military spending was 24.89 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
24.89 billion constant 2022 US$
Change on year
down 6.5%
World rank
19th
of 172 countries
All-time high
26.61 billion constant 2022 US$
in 2019
All-time low
139.01 million constant 2022 US$
in 1974
Years of data
49
1971–2020

Military spending in United Arab Emirates, 1971–2020

010.0B20.0B30.0B197119952020

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for military spending in United Arab Emirates is 24.89 billion constant 2022 US$, measured in 2020.

The figure is down 6.5% on the previous year and up 49.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending in United Arab Emirates peaked at 26.61 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2019 and was at its lowest, 139.01 million constant 2022 US$, in 1974.

United Arab Emirates ranks 19th 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
1970s 1.03 billion constant 2022 US$ 139.01 million constant 2022 US$ 3.53 billion constant 2022 US$ 9
1980s 4.23 billion constant 2022 US$ 3.28 billion constant 2022 US$ 5.31 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
1990s 4.61 billion constant 2022 US$ 3.58 billion constant 2022 US$ 7.06 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
2000s 8.64 billion constant 2022 US$ 4.52 billion constant 2022 US$ 14.30 billion constant 2022 US$ 10
2010s 21.67 billion constant 2022 US$ 15.21 billion constant 2022 US$ 26.61 billion constant 2022 US$ 9
2020s 24.89 billion constant 2022 US$ 24.89 billion constant 2022 US$ 24.89 billion constant 2022 US$ 1

Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates

  1. 16 Brazil 27.35 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  2. 17 Poland 26.65 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  3. 18 Spain 26.09 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  4. 20 Taiwan 19.60 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  5. 21 Netherlands 18.59 billion constant 2022 US$ compare
  6. 22 Turkey 17.27 billion constant 2022 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 172 places →

More reference data data for United Arab Emirates

All data for United Arab Emirates →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending in United Arab Emirates?
Military spending in United Arab Emirates was 24.89 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2020, 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 United Arab Emirates?
The highest recorded value was 26.61 billion constant 2022 US$ in 2019.
What is the lowest military spending recorded in United Arab Emirates?
The lowest recorded value was 139.01 million constant 2022 US$ in 1974.
How does United Arab Emirates rank for military spending?
United Arab Emirates ranks 19th out of 172 countries with data for 2020.
Is military spending rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
Over the last ten years it is up 49.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this United Arab Emirates 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 — 49 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.