Military spending, per unit of GDP in Malaysia
Malaysia: Military spending, per unit of GDP was 0.0117 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.0117 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
Change on year
up 4.3%
World rank
126th
of 170 countries
All-time high
0.2891 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 1972
All-time low
0.0112 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 2022
Years of data
64
1960–2023
Military spending, per unit of GDP in Malaysia, 1960–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending, per unit of gdp in Malaysia is 0.0117 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 4.3% on the previous year and down 31.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending, per unit of gdp in Malaysia peaked at 0.2891 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 1972 and was at its lowest, 0.0112 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, in 2022.
That places Malaysia 126th out of 170 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military spending, per unit of GDP in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.1731 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | — |
| 1961 | 0.1584 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -8.5% |
| 1962 | 0.1624 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +2.5% |
| 1963 | 0.157 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -3.3% |
| 1964 | 0.2005 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +27.7% |
| 1965 | 0.2398 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +19.6% |
| 1966 | 0.2544 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +6.1% |
| 1967 | 0.2471 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.9% |
| 1968 | 0.2419 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -2.1% |
| 1969 | 0.22 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -9.0% |
| 1970 | 0.2351 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +6.8% |
| 1971 | 0.2553 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +8.6% |
| 1972 | 0.2891 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +13.2% |
| 1973 | 0.183 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -36.7% |
| 1974 | 0.1578 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -13.7% |
| 1975 | 0.1713 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +8.5% |
| 1976 | 0.1363 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -20.4% |
| 1977 | 0.1437 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +5.5% |
| 1978 | 0.1257 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -12.5% |
| 1979 | 0.1186 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.7% |
| 1980 | 0.1299 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +9.6% |
| 1981 | 0.1475 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +13.5% |
| 1982 | 0.1471 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 0.1089 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -26.0% |
| 1984 | 0.0803 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -26.3% |
| 1985 | 0.0844 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +5.2% |
| 1986 | 0.084 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 0.0693 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -17.5% |
| 1988 | 0.0611 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -11.8% |
| 1989 | 0.0564 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -7.7% |
| 1990 | 0.0555 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -1.7% |
| 1991 | 0.0612 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +10.3% |
| 1992 | 0.0624 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +1.8% |
| 1993 | 0.0604 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -3.1% |
| 1994 | 0.0548 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -9.2% |
| 1995 | 0.0505 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -7.9% |
| 1996 | 0.0437 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -13.5% |
| 1997 | 0.0392 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -10.3% |
| 1998 | 0.0428 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +9.1% |
| 1999 | 0.0435 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 0.0364 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -16.3% |
| 2001 | 0.0394 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +8.3% |
| 2002 | 0.0363 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -7.9% |
| 2003 | 0.0358 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 0.0333 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -7.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0283 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -15.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0268 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.2% |
| 2007 | 0.0251 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.6% |
| 2008 | 0.0218 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -13.0% |
| 2009 | 0.0233 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +6.7% |
| 2010 | 0.0185 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -20.6% |
| 2011 | 0.0172 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -6.8% |
| 2012 | 0.0164 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 0.0171 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +4.2% |
| 2014 | 0.0162 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -4.9% |
| 2015 | 0.0177 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +9.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0155 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -12.5% |
| 2017 | 0.0146 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 0.0127 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -13.2% |
| 2019 | 0.0129 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 0.0135 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 0.0116 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -14.0% |
| 2022 | 0.0112 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 0.0117 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | +4.3% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 0.0117 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.0152 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, 77% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 0.0117 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 0.016 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, 73% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.2055 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.157 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.2544 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.1816 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.1186 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.2891 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0969 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0564 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.1475 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0514 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0392 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0624 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0306 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0218 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0394 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0159 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0127 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0185 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.012 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0112 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0135 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP | 4 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 123 Panama 0.0124 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 124 Bangladesh 0.0122 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 125 Egypt 0.0122 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 127 Bahamas 0.0114 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 128 Cameroon 0.0112 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
- 129 Paraguay 0.011 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP compare
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7102 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5869 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1487 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.38 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 21.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8098 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending, per unit of gdp in Malaysia?
- Military spending, per unit of gdp in Malaysia was 0.0117 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2891 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 1972.
- What is the lowest military spending, per unit of gdp recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0112 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in 2022.
- How does Malaysia rank for military spending, per unit of gdp?
- Malaysia ranks 126th out of 170 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending, per unit of gdp rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 64 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
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
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.