Military spending in Belgium
Belgium: Military spending was 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
13.59 billion constant 2024 US$
Change on year
up 58.7%
World rank
32nd
of 162 countries
All-time high
13.59 billion constant 2024 US$
in 2025
All-time low
2.43 billion constant 2024 US$
in 1949
Years of data
77
1949–2025
Military spending in Belgium, 1949–2025
Source: Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in constant 2024 US$.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending in Belgium is 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 77 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 58.7% on the previous year and up 153.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending in Belgium peaked at 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.43 billion constant 2024 US$, in 1949.
That places Belgium 32nd out of 162 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 77 years of available data.
Military spending in Belgium, year by year
| Year | constant 2024 US$ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1949 | 2.43 billion constant 2024 US$ | — |
| 1950 | 2.45 billion constant 2024 US$ | +0.9% |
| 1951 | 3.63 billion constant 2024 US$ | +48.0% |
| 1952 | 5.37 billion constant 2024 US$ | +47.8% |
| 1953 | 5.34 billion constant 2024 US$ | -0.4% |
| 1954 | 5.51 billion constant 2024 US$ | +3.2% |
| 1955 | 4.57 billion constant 2024 US$ | -17.2% |
| 1956 | 4.44 billion constant 2024 US$ | -2.8% |
| 1957 | 4.63 billion constant 2024 US$ | +4.3% |
| 1958 | 4.56 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.5% |
| 1959 | 4.60 billion constant 2024 US$ | +0.8% |
| 1960 | 4.70 billion constant 2024 US$ | +2.2% |
| 1961 | 4.75 billion constant 2024 US$ | +1.1% |
| 1962 | 5.06 billion constant 2024 US$ | +6.4% |
| 1963 | 5.21 billion constant 2024 US$ | +3.1% |
| 1964 | 5.59 billion constant 2024 US$ | +7.3% |
| 1965 | 5.41 billion constant 2024 US$ | -3.2% |
| 1966 | 5.85 billion constant 2024 US$ | +8.0% |
| 1967 | 6.13 billion constant 2024 US$ | +4.9% |
| 1968 | 6.35 billion constant 2024 US$ | +3.5% |
| 1969 | 6.39 billion constant 2024 US$ | +0.7% |
| 1970 | 6.81 billion constant 2024 US$ | +6.6% |
| 1971 | 7.10 billion constant 2024 US$ | +4.2% |
| 1972 | 7.48 billion constant 2024 US$ | +5.4% |
| 1973 | 7.82 billion constant 2024 US$ | +4.6% |
| 1974 | 7.93 billion constant 2024 US$ | +1.4% |
| 1975 | 8.64 billion constant 2024 US$ | +8.9% |
| 1976 | 9.09 billion constant 2024 US$ | +5.2% |
| 1977 | 9.32 billion constant 2024 US$ | +2.6% |
| 1978 | 9.95 billion constant 2024 US$ | +6.7% |
| 1979 | 10.17 billion constant 2024 US$ | +2.2% |
| 1980 | 10.36 billion constant 2024 US$ | +1.9% |
| 1981 | 10.46 billion constant 2024 US$ | +0.9% |
| 1982 | 10.11 billion constant 2024 US$ | -3.3% |
| 1983 | 9.71 billion constant 2024 US$ | -4.0% |
| 1984 | 9.30 billion constant 2024 US$ | -4.2% |
| 1985 | 9.19 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.2% |
| 1986 | 9.57 billion constant 2024 US$ | +4.1% |
| 1987 | 9.63 billion constant 2024 US$ | +0.6% |
| 1988 | 9.22 billion constant 2024 US$ | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 9.08 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.5% |
| 1990 | 8.91 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.9% |
| 1991 | 8.78 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.4% |
| 1992 | 7.21 billion constant 2024 US$ | -17.9% |
| 1993 | 6.85 billion constant 2024 US$ | -5.0% |
| 1994 | 6.81 billion constant 2024 US$ | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 6.67 billion constant 2024 US$ | -2.0% |
| 1996 | 6.54 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 6.46 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 6.46 billion constant 2024 US$ | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 6.55 billion constant 2024 US$ | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 6.54 billion constant 2024 US$ | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 6.26 billion constant 2024 US$ | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 6.07 billion constant 2024 US$ | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 6.13 billion constant 2024 US$ | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 6.01 billion constant 2024 US$ | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 5.79 billion constant 2024 US$ | -3.6% |
| 2006 | 5.74 billion constant 2024 US$ | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 6.20 billion constant 2024 US$ | +7.9% |
| 2008 | 6.75 billion constant 2024 US$ | +9.0% |
| 2009 | 6.36 billion constant 2024 US$ | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 6.09 billion constant 2024 US$ | -4.2% |
| 2011 | 5.88 billion constant 2024 US$ | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 5.81 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 5.67 billion constant 2024 US$ | -2.6% |
| 2014 | 5.57 billion constant 2024 US$ | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 5.37 billion constant 2024 US$ | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 5.34 billion constant 2024 US$ | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 5.35 billion constant 2024 US$ | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 5.46 billion constant 2024 US$ | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 5.59 billion constant 2024 US$ | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 6.08 billion constant 2024 US$ | +8.9% |
| 2021 | 6.72 billion constant 2024 US$ | +10.4% |
| 2022 | 7.61 billion constant 2024 US$ | +13.3% |
| 2023 | 7.88 billion constant 2024 US$ | +3.6% |
| 2024 | 8.57 billion constant 2024 US$ | +8.7% |
| 2025 | 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$ | +58.7% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$ is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.82 billion constant 2024 US$, 2.0× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$ is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.80 billion constant 2024 US$, 4.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | +58.7% | 8.57 billion constant 2024 US$ | 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$ |
| 1951 | +48.0% | 2.45 billion constant 2024 US$ | 3.63 billion constant 2024 US$ |
| 1952 | +47.8% | 3.63 billion constant 2024 US$ | 5.37 billion constant 2024 US$ |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 2.43 billion constant 2024 US$ | 2.43 billion constant 2024 US$ | 2.43 billion constant 2024 US$ | 1 |
| 1950s | 4.51 billion constant 2024 US$ | 2.45 billion constant 2024 US$ | 5.51 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 1960s | 5.54 billion constant 2024 US$ | 4.70 billion constant 2024 US$ | 6.39 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 1970s | 8.43 billion constant 2024 US$ | 6.81 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10.17 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 1980s | 9.66 billion constant 2024 US$ | 9.08 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10.46 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.12 billion constant 2024 US$ | 6.46 billion constant 2024 US$ | 8.91 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.18 billion constant 2024 US$ | 5.74 billion constant 2024 US$ | 6.75 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.61 billion constant 2024 US$ | 5.34 billion constant 2024 US$ | 6.09 billion constant 2024 US$ | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.41 billion constant 2024 US$ | 6.08 billion constant 2024 US$ | 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$ | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 29 Denmark 14.08 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 30 Mexico 13.78 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 31 Colombia 13.74 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 33 Yemen 12.32 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 34 Pakistan 11.48 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
- 35 Vietnam 10.91 billion constant 2024 US$ compare
More reference data data for Belgium
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9298 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.291 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1382 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.12 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7526 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending in Belgium?
- Military spending in Belgium was 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2025, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military spending recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 13.59 billion constant 2024 US$ in 2025.
- What is the lowest military spending recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.43 billion constant 2024 US$ in 1949.
- How does Belgium rank for military spending?
- Belgium ranks 32nd out of 162 countries with data for 2025.
- Is military spending rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 153.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 77 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.