Afghanistan: Military expenditure (current USD)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2021, Afghanistan's military expenditure (current USD) fell 0.5% on 2020 (from 279.58 million to 278.25 million).

Across the 20 yearly changes before that (1974 to 2020), the average change was +9% and a typical year strayed about 20.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 67.2% in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 26.8% in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2021 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 9% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Afghanistan in the 2021 ranking

• Sudan — 1st of 2: 369.44 million

What this measures

Military spending USD, in current prices (converted at the exchange rate for the given year)

Limitations: SIPRI strives to compile reliable, consistent military expenditure data by assessing multiple sources, but accuracy depends on the quality and transparency of those sources. Challenges arise from two key issues: whether reported figures reflect actual spending and how closely they match SIPRI’s definition. While data is generally accurate in developed and many developing countries, weak governance, corruption, and secret transfers in others can lead to major discrepancies. SIPRI sometimes makes estimates, when sources conflict or lack coverage, introducing uncertainty, especially for countries like China or the UAE.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 24 values

Military expenditure (current USD) in nearby economies

• Algeria — 25.44 billion (2025)
• Bahrain — 1.47 billion (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 2.5 billion (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 7.4 billion (2025)
• Iraq — 6.45 billion (2025)
• Israel — 48.28 billion (2025)
• Jordan — 2.56 billion (2025)
• Kuwait — 8.09 billion (2025)
• Lebanon — 828.3 million (2025)
• Libya — 1.57 billion (2023)
• Malta

More public sector data for Afghanistan

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 65 million (2021)
• Battle-related deaths (number of people) — 260 (2024)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 165,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 1.82% (2020)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 23.04 billion (2021)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.83% (2021)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100) — 66.6 (2024)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score (scale 0-100) — 64.56 (2024)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Afghanistan's military expenditure (current USD)?

278.25 million in 2021, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 9,366% from 2.94 million in 1970 (9.33% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 325.81 million in 2011 and the lowest 2.94 million in 1970.

Is the latest change in military expenditure (current USD) unusual for Afghanistan?

In 2021, Afghanistan's military expenditure (current USD) fell 0.5% on 2020 (from 279.58 million to 278.25 million). Across the 20 yearly changes before that (1974 to 2020), the average change was +9% and a typical year strayed about 20.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://www.sipri.org/databases.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.XPND.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://www.sipri.org/databases Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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