Malaysia's military expenditure (current LCU) was 21.13 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 19.37% from 17.7 billion in 2015 (1.79% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 21.13 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 14.18 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 17.7 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 21.13 billion | 2025 |
| Lowest | 130 million | 1961 |
| Average since 2016 | 16.44 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 157 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Malaysia's military expenditure (current LCU) rose 5.5% on 2024 (from 20.03 billion to 21.13 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +5.1% and a typical year strayed about 12.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above 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 47.8% in 1981 and the biggest yearly fall was 33.4% in 1988. 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 592.44 million a year. A straight line explains 47% 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, Malaysia had the 87th highest value of the 150 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 Malaysia in the 2025 ranking
- Mozambique — 84th of 150: 29.88 billion
- Netherlands — 85th of 150: 25.66 billion
- Singapore — 86th of 150: 22.79 billion
- North Macedonia — 88th of 150: 20.45 billion
- Honduras — 89th of 150: 15.09 billion
- Guinea-Bissau — 90th of 150: 13 billion
What this measures
Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar 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.
All 66 values
| Year | Military expenditure (current LCU) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 21,128,700,000 |
| 2024 | 20,027,800,000 |
| 2023 | 17,865,800,000 |
| 2022 | 16,158,500,000 |
| 2021 | 15,220,200,000 |
| 2020 | 14,180,000,000 |
| 2019 | 13,515,000,000 |
| 2018 | 13,900,000,000 |
| 2017 | 15,100,000,000 |
| 2016 | 17,300,000,000 |
Military expenditure (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Australia — 54.81 billion (2025)
- Brunei Darussalam — 748.54 million (2024)
- Cambodia — 2.96 trillion (2025)
- China — 2.41 trillion (2025)
- Fiji — 184.81 million (2025)
- Indonesia — 247.53 trillion (2025)
- Japan — 9.3 trillion (2025)
- Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 216.6 billion (2018)
- Korea, Rep. — 67.92 trillion (2025)
- Mongolia — 784.57 billion (2025)
- Myanmar
More public sector data for Malaysia
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 4.93 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.04% (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 7 million (2024)
- Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 4.43% (2025)
- Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 0.73 (2023)
- Armed forces personnel, total — 136,000 (2020)
- Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.81% (2020)
- Central government debt, total (current LCU) — 1.25 trillion (2024)
- Central government debt, total (% of GDP) — 64.57% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Malaysia's military expenditure (current LCU)?
- 21.13 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 13,358% from 157 million in 1960 (7.83% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 21.13 billion in 2025 and the lowest 130 million in 1961.
- How does Malaysia rank?
- 87th highest of 150 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in military expenditure (current LCU) unusual for Malaysia?
- In 2025, Malaysia's military expenditure (current LCU) rose 5.5% on 2024 (from 20.03 billion to 21.13 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +5.1% and a typical year strayed about 12.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations above 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.CN, 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.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
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