Military spending per armed forces personnel in Colombia
Colombia: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 27,488 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ▬ Flat
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Colombia, 1985–2020
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending per armed forces personnel in Colombia is 27,488 constant 2024 US$, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.0% on the previous year and up 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Colombia peaked at 27,488 constant 2024 US$ in 2020 and was at its lowest, 17,383 constant 2024 US$, in 1997.
Colombia ranks 78th of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Colombia, year by year
| Year | constant 2024 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 24,103 constant 2024 US$ | — |
| 1989 | 24,076 constant 2024 US$ | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 20,828 constant 2024 US$ | -13.5% |
| 1991 | 20,621 constant 2024 US$ | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 18,636 constant 2024 US$ | -9.6% |
| 1993 | 24,004 constant 2024 US$ | +28.8% |
| 1994 | 23,874 constant 2024 US$ | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 17,436 constant 2024 US$ | -27.0% |
| 1996 | 27,039 constant 2024 US$ | +55.1% |
| 1997 | 17,383 constant 2024 US$ | -35.7% |
| 1998 | 20,765 constant 2024 US$ | +19.5% |
| 1999 | 22,315 constant 2024 US$ | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 21,181 constant 2024 US$ | -5.1% |
| 2001 | 21,911 constant 2024 US$ | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 23,007 constant 2024 US$ | +5.0% |
| 2003 | 20,836 constant 2024 US$ | -9.4% |
| 2004 | 20,161 constant 2024 US$ | -3.2% |
| 2005 | 20,525 constant 2024 US$ | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 18,322 constant 2024 US$ | -10.7% |
| 2007 | 18,822 constant 2024 US$ | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 22,248 constant 2024 US$ | +18.2% |
| 2009 | 21,741 constant 2024 US$ | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 21,575 constant 2024 US$ | -0.8% |
| 2011 | 20,157 constant 2024 US$ | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 21,576 constant 2024 US$ | +7.0% |
| 2013 | 22,693 constant 2024 US$ | +5.2% |
| 2014 | 22,380 constant 2024 US$ | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 21,311 constant 2024 US$ | -4.8% |
| 2016 | 21,012 constant 2024 US$ | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 22,427 constant 2024 US$ | +6.7% |
| 2018 | 22,032 constant 2024 US$ | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 23,696 constant 2024 US$ | +7.6% |
| 2020 | 27,488 constant 2024 US$ | +16.0% |
Colombia compared with similar countries
- Colombia's 27,488 constant 2024 US$ is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 19,504 constant 2024 US$, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Colombia's 27,488 constant 2024 US$ is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 23,332 constant 2024 US$, 1.2× the median. (22 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending per armed forces personnel in Colombia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +55.1% | 17,436 constant 2024 US$ | 27,039 constant 2024 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 24,090 constant 2024 US$ | 24,076 constant 2024 US$ | 24,103 constant 2024 US$ | 2 |
| 1990s | 21,290 constant 2024 US$ | 17,383 constant 2024 US$ | 27,039 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 20,875 constant 2024 US$ | 18,322 constant 2024 US$ | 23,007 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 21,886 constant 2024 US$ | 20,157 constant 2024 US$ | 23,696 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 27,488 constant 2024 US$ | 27,488 constant 2024 US$ | 27,488 constant 2024 US$ | 1 |
Countries ranked near Colombia
More reference data data for Colombia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4113 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 19.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 9.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 2.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 61.25 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 94.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.24 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Colombia?
- Military spending per armed forces personnel in Colombia was 27,488 constant 2024 US$ in 2020, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Colombia?
- The highest recorded value was 27,488 constant 2024 US$ in 2020.
- What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Colombia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17,383 constant 2024 US$ in 1997.
- How does Colombia rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
- Colombia ranks 78th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
- Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Colombia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Colombia data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by armed forces personnel. 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.