Military spending per armed forces personnel in Singapore
Singapore: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 199,835 constant 2024 US$ in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Singapore, 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$.
Analysis
Singapore recorded 199,835 constant 2024 US$ for military spending per armed forces personnel in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% on the previous year and up 167.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Singapore peaked at 211,864 constant 2024 US$ in 2018 and was at its lowest, 43,975 constant 2024 US$, in 1997.
Singapore ranks 20th of 160 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Singapore, year by year
| Year | constant 2024 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 62,092 constant 2024 US$ | — |
| 1989 | 70,526 constant 2024 US$ | +13.6% |
| 1990 | 80,935 constant 2024 US$ | +14.8% |
| 1991 | 83,730 constant 2024 US$ | +3.5% |
| 1992 | 89,011 constant 2024 US$ | +6.3% |
| 1993 | 91,841 constant 2024 US$ | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 94,922 constant 2024 US$ | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 97,209 constant 2024 US$ | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 106,487 constant 2024 US$ | +9.5% |
| 1997 | 43,975 constant 2024 US$ | -58.7% |
| 1998 | 49,110 constant 2024 US$ | +11.7% |
| 1999 | 49,889 constant 2024 US$ | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 51,831 constant 2024 US$ | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 57,879 constant 2024 US$ | +11.7% |
| 2002 | 60,126 constant 2024 US$ | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 56,402 constant 2024 US$ | -6.2% |
| 2004 | 58,792 constant 2024 US$ | +4.2% |
| 2005 | 61,706 constant 2024 US$ | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 62,261 constant 2024 US$ | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 64,658 constant 2024 US$ | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 65,096 constant 2024 US$ | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 76,167 constant 2024 US$ | +17.0% |
| 2010 | 74,698 constant 2024 US$ | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 71,986 constant 2024 US$ | -3.6% |
| 2012 | 70,304 constant 2024 US$ | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 70,071 constant 2024 US$ | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 72,113 constant 2024 US$ | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 76,914 constant 2024 US$ | +6.7% |
| 2016 | 81,774 constant 2024 US$ | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 152,978 constant 2024 US$ | +87.1% |
| 2018 | 211,864 constant 2024 US$ | +38.5% |
| 2019 | 209,419 constant 2024 US$ | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 199,835 constant 2024 US$ | -4.6% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 199,835 constant 2024 US$ is above the median for high income countries, which is 131,220 constant 2024 US$, 1.5× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 199,835 constant 2024 US$ is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 23,831 constant 2024 US$, 8.4× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending per armed forces personnel in Singapore changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | +87.1% | 81,774 constant 2024 US$ | 152,978 constant 2024 US$ |
| 1997 | -58.7% | 106,487 constant 2024 US$ | 43,975 constant 2024 US$ |
| 2018 | +38.5% | 152,978 constant 2024 US$ | 211,864 constant 2024 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 66,309 constant 2024 US$ | 62,092 constant 2024 US$ | 70,526 constant 2024 US$ | 2 |
| 1990s | 78,711 constant 2024 US$ | 43,975 constant 2024 US$ | 106,487 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 61,492 constant 2024 US$ | 51,831 constant 2024 US$ | 76,167 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 109,212 constant 2024 US$ | 70,071 constant 2024 US$ | 211,864 constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 199,835 constant 2024 US$ | 199,835 constant 2024 US$ | 199,835 constant 2024 US$ | 1 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More reference data data for Singapore
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.008 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0066 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0618 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0618 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0269 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0096 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0378 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2664 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Burning - Crop residues 0 (1992)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2567 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Singapore?
- Military spending per armed forces personnel in Singapore was 199,835 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 211,864 constant 2024 US$ in 2018.
- What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 43,975 constant 2024 US$ in 1997.
- How does Singapore rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
- Singapore ranks 20th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
- Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 167.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Singapore 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.