Military spending per military personnel in Nigeria
Nigeria: Military spending per military personnel was 27,384 constant 2022 US$ in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
27,384 constant 2022 US$
Change on year
down 3.7%
World rank
101st
of 170 countries
All-time high
37,934 constant 2022 US$
in 1962
All-time low
3,375 constant 2022 US$
in 1987
Years of data
63
1960–2022
Military spending per military personnel in Nigeria, 1960–2022
Source: Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025); Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2022 US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending per military personnel in Nigeria is 27,384 constant 2022 US$, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 11.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending per military personnel in Nigeria peaked at 37,934 constant 2022 US$ in 1962 and was at its lowest, 3,375 constant 2022 US$, in 1987.
That places Nigeria 101st out of 170 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Military spending per military personnel in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 31,070 constant 2022 US$ | — |
| 1961 | 34,735 constant 2022 US$ | +11.8% |
| 1962 | 37,934 constant 2022 US$ | +9.2% |
| 1963 | 12,662 constant 2022 US$ | -66.6% |
| 1964 | 15,196 constant 2022 US$ | +20.0% |
| 1965 | 17,030 constant 2022 US$ | +12.1% |
| 1966 | 13,794 constant 2022 US$ | -19.0% |
| 1967 | 31,269 constant 2022 US$ | +126.7% |
| 1968 | 21,239 constant 2022 US$ | -32.1% |
| 1969 | 34,288 constant 2022 US$ | +61.4% |
| 1970 | 13,693 constant 2022 US$ | -60.1% |
| 1971 | 8,310 constant 2022 US$ | -39.3% |
| 1972 | 11,613 constant 2022 US$ | +39.8% |
| 1973 | 11,026 constant 2022 US$ | -5.1% |
| 1974 | 11,198 constant 2022 US$ | +1.6% |
| 1975 | 22,550 constant 2022 US$ | +101.4% |
| 1976 | 23,057 constant 2022 US$ | +2.3% |
| 1977 | 21,116 constant 2022 US$ | -8.4% |
| 1978 | 26,557 constant 2022 US$ | +25.8% |
| 1979 | 29,962 constant 2022 US$ | +12.8% |
| 1980 | 30,870 constant 2022 US$ | +3.0% |
| 1981 | 18,641 constant 2022 US$ | -39.6% |
| 1982 | 18,396 constant 2022 US$ | -1.3% |
| 1983 | 14,678 constant 2022 US$ | -20.2% |
| 1984 | 11,307 constant 2022 US$ | -23.0% |
| 1985 | 10,129 constant 2022 US$ | -10.4% |
| 1986 | 6,414 constant 2022 US$ | -36.7% |
| 1987 | 3,375 constant 2022 US$ | -47.4% |
| 1988 | 4,308 constant 2022 US$ | +27.7% |
| 1989 | 4,146 constant 2022 US$ | -3.8% |
| 1990 | 5,022 constant 2022 US$ | +21.1% |
| 1991 | 4,321 constant 2022 US$ | -14.0% |
| 1992 | 5,578 constant 2022 US$ | +29.1% |
| 1993 | 5,815 constant 2022 US$ | +4.3% |
| 1994 | 15,014 constant 2022 US$ | +158.2% |
| 1995 | 20,027 constant 2022 US$ | +33.4% |
| 1996 | 22,888 constant 2022 US$ | +14.3% |
| 1997 | 25,453 constant 2022 US$ | +11.2% |
| 1998 | 27,394 constant 2022 US$ | +7.6% |
| 1999 | 23,130 constant 2022 US$ | -15.6% |
| 2000 | 12,872 constant 2022 US$ | -44.4% |
| 2001 | 12,713 constant 2022 US$ | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 15,438 constant 2022 US$ | +21.4% |
| 2003 | 12,696 constant 2022 US$ | -17.8% |
| 2004 | 12,886 constant 2022 US$ | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 13,316 constant 2022 US$ | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 13,963 constant 2022 US$ | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 15,476 constant 2022 US$ | +10.8% |
| 2008 | 21,304 constant 2022 US$ | +37.7% |
| 2009 | 22,692 constant 2022 US$ | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 25,956 constant 2022 US$ | +14.4% |
| 2011 | 29,960 constant 2022 US$ | +15.4% |
| 2012 | 30,779 constant 2022 US$ | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 31,144 constant 2022 US$ | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 31,788 constant 2022 US$ | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 29,126 constant 2022 US$ | -8.4% |
| 2016 | 25,713 constant 2022 US$ | -11.7% |
| 2017 | 18,328 constant 2022 US$ | -28.7% |
| 2018 | 20,229 constant 2022 US$ | +10.4% |
| 2019 | 20,561 constant 2022 US$ | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 23,080 constant 2022 US$ | +12.3% |
| 2021 | 28,440 constant 2022 US$ | +23.2% |
| 2022 | 27,384 constant 2022 US$ | -3.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 27,384 constant 2022 US$ is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 19,992 constant 2022 US$, 1.4× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 27,384 constant 2022 US$ is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18,299 constant 2022 US$, 1.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending per military personnel in Nigeria changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +158.2% | 5,815 constant 2022 US$ | 15,014 constant 2022 US$ |
| 1967 | +126.7% | 13,794 constant 2022 US$ | 31,269 constant 2022 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 24,922 constant 2022 US$ | 12,662 constant 2022 US$ | 37,934 constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 17,908 constant 2022 US$ | 8,310 constant 2022 US$ | 29,962 constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 12,226 constant 2022 US$ | 3,375 constant 2022 US$ | 30,870 constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 15,464 constant 2022 US$ | 4,321 constant 2022 US$ | 27,394 constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 15,335 constant 2022 US$ | 12,696 constant 2022 US$ | 22,692 constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 26,358 constant 2022 US$ | 18,328 constant 2022 US$ | 31,788 constant 2022 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 26,301 constant 2022 US$ | 23,080 constant 2022 US$ | 28,440 constant 2022 US$ | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More reference data data for Nigeria
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 19.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.94 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 81.9 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 121.16 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 14.27 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending per military personnel in Nigeria?
- Military spending per military personnel in Nigeria was 27,384 constant 2022 US$ in 2022, according to Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025); Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending per military personnel recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 37,934 constant 2022 US$ in 1962.
- What is the lowest military spending per military personnel recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,375 constant 2022 US$ in 1987.
- How does Nigeria rank for military spending per military personnel?
- Nigeria ranks 101st out of 170 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military spending per military personnel rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025); Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
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.