Military spending per armed forces personnel in Pakistan
Pakistan: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 12,198 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ▲ Rising
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Pakistan, 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$.
Analysis
Pakistan recorded 12,198 constant 2024 US$ for military spending per armed forces personnel in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 63.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Pakistan peaked at 12,530 constant 2024 US$ in 2018 and was at its lowest, 5,668 constant 2024 US$, in 2000.
Pakistan ranks 117th of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | constant 2024 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 7,569 constant 2024 US$ | — |
| 1989 | 8,576 constant 2024 US$ | +13.3% |
| 1990 | 8,557 constant 2024 US$ | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 8,917 constant 2024 US$ | +4.2% |
| 1992 | 9,236 constant 2024 US$ | +3.6% |
| 1993 | 9,189 constant 2024 US$ | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 8,925 constant 2024 US$ | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 6,225 constant 2024 US$ | -30.3% |
| 1996 | 6,305 constant 2024 US$ | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 6,044 constant 2024 US$ | -4.1% |
| 1998 | 6,044 constant 2024 US$ | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 6,104 constant 2024 US$ | +1.0% |
| 2000 | 5,668 constant 2024 US$ | -7.1% |
| 2001 | 6,010 constant 2024 US$ | +6.0% |
| 2002 | 6,456 constant 2024 US$ | +7.4% |
| 2003 | 6,899 constant 2024 US$ | +6.9% |
| 2004 | 7,089 constant 2024 US$ | +2.8% |
| 2005 | 7,379 constant 2024 US$ | +4.1% |
| 2006 | 7,484 constant 2024 US$ | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 7,553 constant 2024 US$ | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 7,121 constant 2024 US$ | -5.7% |
| 2009 | 7,338 constant 2024 US$ | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 7,471 constant 2024 US$ | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 7,875 constant 2024 US$ | +5.4% |
| 2012 | 8,336 constant 2024 US$ | +5.8% |
| 2013 | 8,622 constant 2024 US$ | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 9,284 constant 2024 US$ | +7.7% |
| 2015 | 9,978 constant 2024 US$ | +7.5% |
| 2016 | 10,319 constant 2024 US$ | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 11,308 constant 2024 US$ | +9.6% |
| 2018 | 12,530 constant 2024 US$ | +10.8% |
| 2019 | 12,401 constant 2024 US$ | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 12,198 constant 2024 US$ | -1.6% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 12,198 constant 2024 US$ is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15,998 constant 2024 US$, 76% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 12,198 constant 2024 US$ is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 42,323 constant 2024 US$, 29% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending per armed forces personnel in Pakistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | -30.3% | 8,925 constant 2024 US$ | 6,225 constant 2024 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8,072 constant 2024 US$ | 7,569 constant 2024 US$ | 8,576 constant 2024 US$ | 2 |
| 1990s | 7,555 constant 2024 US$ | 6,044 constant 2024 US$ | 9,236 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 6,900 constant 2024 US$ | 5,668 constant 2024 US$ | 7,553 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 9,812 constant 2024 US$ | 7,471 constant 2024 US$ | 12,530 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,198 constant 2024 US$ | 12,198 constant 2024 US$ | 12,198 constant 2024 US$ | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More reference data data for Pakistan
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 20.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 61.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 20.3 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 91.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 260 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.79 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Pakistan?
- Military spending per armed forces personnel in Pakistan was 12,198 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 12,530 constant 2024 US$ in 2018.
- What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,668 constant 2024 US$ in 2000.
- How does Pakistan rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
- Pakistan ranks 117th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
- Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 63.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.