Central African Republic: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Central African Republic's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) fell 0.4 percentage points on 2024 (from 12.87% to 12.46%).

Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2024), the average change was +0.33 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.59 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 9.6 percentage points in 2013 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.88 percentage points in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 22% 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

In 2025, Central African Republic had the 21st highest value of the 149 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Central African Republic in the 2025 ranking

• Pakistan — 17th of 149: 13.83%
• Jordan — 18th of 149: 13.53%
• Burkina Faso — 19th of 149: 13.21%
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 21st of 149: 11.16%
• Bahrain — 22nd of 149: 10.8%
• Korea, Rep. — 23rd of 149: 10.79%

What this measures

Military expenditure expressed as a percentage of general government expenditure

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 29 values

Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) in nearby economies

• Angola — 5.92% (2025)
• Benin — 4.82% (2025)
• Botswana — 8.94% (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 13.21% (2025)
• Burundi — 14.85% (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 2.34% (2025)
• Cameroon — 6.53% (2025)
• Chad — 15.53% (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 8.14% (2025)

More public sector data for Central African Republic

• Armed forces personnel, total — 10,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.54% (2020)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 74.19 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 43.14 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.33% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 43 million (2023)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (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 Central African Republic's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)?

12.46% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1991?

It is up 5.67 percentage points from 6.8% in 1991. The highest value was 21.15% in 2013 and the lowest 5.61% in 1994.

How does Central African Republic rank?

21st highest of 149 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) unusual for Central African Republic?

In 2025, Central African Republic's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) fell 0.4 percentage points on 2024 (from 12.87% to 12.46%). Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1992 to 2024), the average change was +0.33 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.59 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.XPND.ZS, 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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