Military spending per armed forces personnel in Malaysia
Malaysia: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 25,198 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ▲ Rising
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Malaysia, 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$.
Analysis
In 2020, military spending per armed forces personnel in Malaysia stood at 25,198 constant 2024 US$.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.1% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Malaysia peaked at 34,088 constant 2024 US$ in 2015 and was at its lowest, 11,957 constant 2024 US$, in 1990.
Malaysia ranks 85th of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13,079 constant 2024 US$ | 12,585 constant 2024 US$ | 13,574 constant 2024 US$ | 2 |
| 1990s | 17,068 constant 2024 US$ | 11,957 constant 2024 US$ | 21,052 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 27,579 constant 2024 US$ | 18,086 constant 2024 US$ | 32,579 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 29,109 constant 2024 US$ | 23,743 constant 2024 US$ | 34,088 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 25,198 constant 2024 US$ | 25,198 constant 2024 US$ | 25,198 constant 2024 US$ | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3171 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0702 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.4881 °C (2026)
- Consumer price index 134.6 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4538 °C (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2047 °C (2025)
- Democracy 6 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Annual precipitation 3,150 millimeters (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Malaysia?
- Military spending per armed forces personnel in Malaysia was 25,198 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 34,088 constant 2024 US$ in 2015.
- What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,957 constant 2024 US$ in 1990.
- How does Malaysia rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
- Malaysia ranks 85th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
- Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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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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.