Statizoid

Military spending, per unit of GDP in Malawi

Malawi: Military spending, per unit of GDP was 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
131st
of 170 countries
All-time high
0.0476 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 1980
All-time low
0.004 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 2002
Years of data
44
1980–2023

Military spending, per unit of GDP in Malawi, 1980–2023

00.010.020.030.040.051980200120231980: 0.048 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1981: 0.041 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1982: 0.036 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1983: 0.029 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1984: 0.027 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1985: 0.031 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1986: 0.03 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1987: 0.027 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1988: 0.022 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1989: 0.018 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1990: 0.014 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1991: 0.011 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1992: 0.014 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1993: 0.011 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1994: 0.018 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1995: 0.015 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1996: 0.009 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1997: 0.009 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1998: 0.012 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP1999: 0.011 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2000: 0.007 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2001: 0.007 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2002: 0.004 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2003: 0.004 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2004: 0.004 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2005: 0.006 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2006: 0.007 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2007: 0.008 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2008: 0.007 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2009: 0.007 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2010: 0.008 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2011: 0.005 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2012: 0.005 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2013: 0.005 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2014: 0.006 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2015: 0.005 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2016: 0.005 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2017: 0.006 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2018: 0.006 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2019: 0.008 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2020: 0.009 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2021: 0.009 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2022: 0.01 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP2023: 0.011 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP.

Analysis

Malawi recorded 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP for military spending, per unit of gdp in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 108.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending, per unit of gdp in Malawi peaked at 0.0476 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 1980 and was at its lowest, 0.004 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, in 2002.

That places Malawi 131st out of 170 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Military spending, per unit of GDP in Malawi, year by year

Year constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP Change
1980 0.0476 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP —
1981 0.0413 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -13.1%
1982 0.0362 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -12.3%
1983 0.0287 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -20.8%
1984 0.0272 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -5.2%
1985 0.0309 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +13.7%
1986 0.0297 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -4.1%
1987 0.027 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -9.1%
1988 0.0216 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -19.9%
1989 0.0181 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -16.3%
1990 0.0142 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -21.5%
1991 0.0115 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -19.2%
1992 0.0136 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +18.3%
1993 0.011 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -18.8%
1994 0.0184 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +66.6%
1995 0.0147 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -20.0%
1996 0.0093 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -36.6%
1997 0.0087 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -6.8%
1998 0.0123 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +42.0%
1999 0.0108 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -12.8%
2000 0.0069 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -35.6%
2001 0.0069 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +0.1%
2002 0.004 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -42.6%
2003 0.0041 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +3.9%
2004 0.0042 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +0.3%
2005 0.0063 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +52.2%
2006 0.0073 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +14.8%
2007 0.0079 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +8.5%
2008 0.0069 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -12.7%
2009 0.0068 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -0.7%
2010 0.0077 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +13.4%
2011 0.0047 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -38.9%
2012 0.0051 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +7.1%
2013 0.0051 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +0.8%
2014 0.0056 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +10.1%
2015 0.0049 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP -13.6%
2016 0.0054 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +12.0%
2017 0.0056 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +2.4%
2018 0.0059 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +5.3%
2019 0.0083 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +40.7%
2020 0.0086 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +4.3%
2021 0.0092 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +6.9%
2022 0.0104 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +12.5%
2023 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP +2.7%

Malawi compared with similar countries

  • Malawi's 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.0213 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, 50% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
  • Malawi's 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0159 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, 67% of the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.0308 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0181 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0476 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 10
1990s 0.0124 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0087 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0184 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 10
2000s 0.0061 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.004 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0079 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 10
2010s 0.0058 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0047 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0083 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 10
2020s 0.0097 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0086 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 4

Countries ranked near Malawi

  1. 128 Cameroon 0.0112 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
  2. 129 Paraguay 0.011 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
  3. 130 Belize 0.0107 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
  4. 132 Cote d'Ivoire 0.0099 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
  5. 133 Austria 0.0099 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
  6. 134 South Africa 0.0095 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More reference data data for Malawi

All data for Malawi →

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending, per unit of gdp in Malawi?
Military spending, per unit of gdp in Malawi was 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest military spending, per unit of gdp recorded in Malawi?
The highest recorded value was 0.0476 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 1980.
What is the lowest military spending, per unit of gdp recorded in Malawi?
The lowest recorded value was 0.004 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2002.
How does Malawi rank for military spending, per unit of gdp?
Malawi ranks 131st out of 170 countries with data for 2023.
Is military spending, per unit of gdp rising or falling in Malawi?
Over the last ten years it is up 108.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Malawi data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Military spending, per unit of GDP. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Military spending, per unit of GDP in Malawi. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-spending-per-unit-of-gdp-2/malawi/

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How this figure is calculated

Military spending divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.

Military spending ÷ GDP (current US$)

Computed from

  • Military spending Barnum et al. – Global Military Spending Dataset (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
  • GDP Country official statistics, National Statistical Organizations and/or Central Banks

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Military spending, per unit of GDP
Unit
constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
170 places, 9,064 data points, 1960–2023
Last refreshed

Military spending divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.