Military spending per armed forces personnel in Somalia

Somalia: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 8,776 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
8,776
Change on year
up 87.8%
World rank
128th
of 160 countries
All-time high
8,776
in 2020
All-time low
1,055
in 1985
Years of data
9
1985–2020

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

2.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1985200220201985: 1.1k2013: 3.6k2014: 5.3k2015: 3.5k2016: 3.6k2017: 4.4k2018: 5.3k2019: 4.7k2020: 8.8k

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Somalia recorded 8,776 for military spending per armed forces personnel in 2020. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.

That represents a change of up 87.8% on the previous year and up 145.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in Somalia peaked at 8,776 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1,055, in 1985.

That places Somalia 128th out of 160 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Military spending per armed forces personnel in Somalia, year by year

Annual values for Military spending per armed forces personnel in Somalia, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 1,055 —
2013 3,581 +239.5%
2014 5,292 +47.8%
2015 3,483 -34.2%
2016 3,564 +2.3%
2017 4,397 +23.4%
2018 5,276 +20.0%
2019 4,673 -11.4%
2020 8,776 +87.8%

Somalia compared with similar countries

  • Somalia's 8,776 is above the median for low income countries, which is 7,109, 1.2× the median. (21 countries reporting)
  • Somalia's 8,776 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 13,391, 66% of the median. (45 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1,055 1,055 1,055 1
2010s 4,324 3,483 5,292 7
2020s 8,776 8,776 8,776 1

Countries ranked near Somalia

  1. 125 Guatemala 9,659 compare
  2. 126 El Salvador 9,530 compare
  3. 127 Liberia 8,915 compare
  4. 129 Chad 8,628 compare
  5. 130 Montenegro 8,523 compare
  6. 131 Nicaragua 8,167 compare

See the full ranking of 160 places →

More reference data data for Somalia

All data for Somalia →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending per armed forces personnel in Somalia?
Military spending per armed forces personnel in Somalia was 8,776 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Somalia?
The highest recorded value was 8,776 in 2020.
What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in Somalia?
The lowest recorded value was 1,055 in 1985.
How does Somalia rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
Somalia ranks 128th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in Somalia?
Over the last ten years it is up 145.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Somalia data come from?
The figures come from 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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Military spending per armed forces personnel in Somalia. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 15 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-spending-per-armed-forces-personnel/somalia-fed-rep/

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About this data

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