Military spending per armed forces personnel in Malawi

Malawi: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 6,405 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
6,405 constant 2024 US$
Change on year
up 8.3%
World rank
137th
of 160 countries
All-time high
12,051 constant 2024 US$
in 2013
All-time low
1,192 constant 2024 US$
in 1995
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Military spending per armed forces personnel in Malawi, 1985–2020

02.5k5.0k7.5k10.0k12.5k1985200220201985: 4.4k constant 2024 US$1989: 2.8k constant 2024 US$1990: 2.7k constant 2024 US$1991: 2.1k constant 2024 US$1992: 1.8k constant 2024 US$1993: 1.9k constant 2024 US$1994: 1.8k constant 2024 US$1995: 1.2k constant 2024 US$1996: 1.4k constant 2024 US$1997: 3.2k constant 2024 US$1998: 2.6k constant 2024 US$1999: 2.5k constant 2024 US$2000: 2.1k constant 2024 US$2001: 2.0k constant 2024 US$2002: 2.2k constant 2024 US$2003: 2.2k constant 2024 US$2004: 4.3k constant 2024 US$2005: 6.0k constant 2024 US$2006: 4.9k constant 2024 US$2007: 5.0k constant 2024 US$2008: 6.2k constant 2024 US$2009: 10.0k constant 2024 US$2010: 8.4k constant 2024 US$2011: 6.7k constant 2024 US$2012: 7.7k constant 2024 US$2013: 12.1k constant 2024 US$2014: 8.9k constant 2024 US$2015: 7.1k constant 2024 US$2016: 3.3k constant 2024 US$2017: 4.0k constant 2024 US$2018: 4.5k constant 2024 US$2019: 5.9k constant 2024 US$2020: 6.4k constant 2024 US$

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

The most recent figure for military spending per armed forces personnel in Malawi is 6,405 constant 2024 US$, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 8.3% on the previous year and down 24.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Malawi peaked at 12,051 constant 2024 US$ in 2013 and was at its lowest, 1,192 constant 2024 US$, in 1995.

Malawi ranks 137th of 160 countries on this measure, 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 3,610 constant 2024 US$ 2,845 constant 2024 US$ 4,376 constant 2024 US$ 2
1990s 2,125 constant 2024 US$ 1,192 constant 2024 US$ 3,233 constant 2024 US$ 10
2000s 4,490 constant 2024 US$ 2,013 constant 2024 US$ 9,986 constant 2024 US$ 10
2010s 6,859 constant 2024 US$ 3,278 constant 2024 US$ 12,051 constant 2024 US$ 10
2020s 6,405 constant 2024 US$ 6,405 constant 2024 US$ 6,405 constant 2024 US$ 1

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 134 Guinea-Bissau 7,109 constant 2024 US$ compare
  2. 135 Nigeria 6,824 constant 2024 US$ compare
  3. 136 Mauritius 6,655 constant 2024 US$ compare
  4. 138 Mongolia 6,385 constant 2024 US$ compare
  5. 139 Benin 6,087 constant 2024 US$ compare
  6. 140 Belarus 5,738 constant 2024 US$ compare

See the full ranking of 160 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Malawi?
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Malawi was 6,405 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 Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 12,051 constant 2024 US$ in 2013.
What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 1,192 constant 2024 US$ in 1995.
How does Malawi rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
Malawi ranks 137th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is down 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malawi 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 — 33 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.