Military spending per armed forces personnel in Democratic Republic of Congo

Democratic Republic of Congo: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 2,978 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
2,978 constant 2024 US$
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
153rd
of 160 countries
All-time high
10,771 constant 2024 US$
in 1993
All-time low
422.38 constant 2024 US$
in 1998
Years of data
28
1985–2020

Military spending per armed forces personnel in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1985–2020

02.5k5.0k7.5k10.0k1985200220201985: 1.7k constant 2024 US$1989: 2.2k constant 2024 US$1990: 1.5k constant 2024 US$1991: 1.2k constant 2024 US$1992: 3.1k constant 2024 US$1993: 10.8k constant 2024 US$1996: 2.3k constant 2024 US$1997: 1.6k constant 2024 US$1998: 422.4 constant 2024 US$1999: 1.4k constant 2024 US$2000: 1.1k constant 2024 US$2003: 1.7k constant 2024 US$2004: 4.4k constant 2024 US$2005: 5.1k constant 2024 US$2007: 2.4k constant 2024 US$2008: 1.6k constant 2024 US$2009: 1.2k constant 2024 US$2010: 1.6k constant 2024 US$2011: 2.1k constant 2024 US$2012: 2.9k constant 2024 US$2013: 3.3k constant 2024 US$2014: 3.0k constant 2024 US$2015: 4.3k constant 2024 US$2016: 3.6k constant 2024 US$2017: 2.9k constant 2024 US$2018: 2.5k constant 2024 US$2019: 2.9k constant 2024 US$2020: 3.0k constant 2024 US$

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

Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 2,978 constant 2024 US$ for military spending per armed forces personnel in 2020.

The figure is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 89.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 10,771 constant 2024 US$ in 1993 and was at its lowest, 422.38 constant 2024 US$, in 1998.

That places Democratic Republic of Congo 153rd out of 160 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1,938 constant 2024 US$ 1,659 constant 2024 US$ 2,216 constant 2024 US$ 2
1990s 2,787 constant 2024 US$ 422.38 constant 2024 US$ 10,771 constant 2024 US$ 8
2000s 2,481 constant 2024 US$ 1,072 constant 2024 US$ 5,058 constant 2024 US$ 7
2010s 2,902 constant 2024 US$ 1,569 constant 2024 US$ 4,259 constant 2024 US$ 10
2020s 2,978 constant 2024 US$ 2,978 constant 2024 US$ 2,978 constant 2024 US$ 1

Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo

  1. 150 Egypt 3,872 constant 2024 US$ compare
  2. 151 Ethiopia 3,698 constant 2024 US$ compare
  3. 152 Cambodia 3,640 constant 2024 US$ compare
  4. 154 Burundi 2,840 constant 2024 US$ compare
  5. 155 Zimbabwe 2,069 constant 2024 US$ compare
  6. 156 Laos 168.94 constant 2024 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 160 places →

More reference data data for Democratic Republic of Congo

All data for Democratic Republic of Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Democratic Republic of Congo was 2,978 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
The highest recorded value was 10,771 constant 2024 US$ in 1993.
What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 422.38 constant 2024 US$ in 1998.
How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 153rd out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
Over the last ten years it is up 89.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.

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CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Military spending per armed forces personnel
Unit
constant 2024 US$
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
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
160 places, 4,610 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.