Haiti: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Haiti's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) rose 0.87 percentage points on 2024 (from 1.49% to 2.36%).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2024), the average change was +0.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.24 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.87 percentage points in 2025 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.81 percentage points in 2022. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.16 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 65% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2025, Haiti had the 130th 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 Haiti in the 2025 ranking

• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 127th of 149: 2.45%
• Ghana — 128th of 149: 2.4%
• Timor-Leste — 129th of 149: 2.38%
• Switzerland — 131st of 149: 2.36%
• Cabo Verde — 132nd of 149: 2.34%
• Brazil — 133rd of 149: 2.2%

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

• Argentina — 1.77% (2025)
• Belize — 3.69% (2025)
• Bolivia — 3.18% (2025)
• Brazil — 2.2% (2025)
• Chile — 5.68% (2025)
• Colombia — 9.29% (2025)
• Costa Rica — 0% (2025)
• Dominican Republic — 4.13% (2025)
• Ecuador — 5.67% (2025)

More public sector data for Haiti

• Armed forces personnel, total — 1,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.02% (2020)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high) — 2.67 (2025)
• CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA quality of budgetary and financial management rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA financial sector rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2 (2025)
• CPIA fiscal policy 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 Haiti's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)?

2.36% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1997?

It is up 2.36 percentage points from 0% in 1997. The highest value was 2.36% in 2025 and the lowest 0% in 1997.

How does Haiti rank?

130th highest of 149 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Haiti's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) rose 0.87 percentage points on 2024 (from 1.49% to 2.36%). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1998 to 2024), the average change was +0.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.24 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

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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