Malta: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Malta's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) rose 0.26 percentage points on 2024 (from 1% to 1.26%).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was −0.02 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.16 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.35 percentage points in 2005 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.39 percentage points in 2006. 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 downward, about 0.04 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 51% 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, Malta had the 144th 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 Malta in the 2025 ranking

• Papua New Guinea — 141st of 149: 1.59%
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 142nd of 149: 1.56%
• Moldova — 143rd of 149: 1.39%
• Ireland — 145th of 149: 0.93%
• Mauritius — 146th of 149: 0.45%
• Costa Rica — 147th of 149: 0%

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 26 values

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

• Afghanistan — 4.97% (2020)
• Algeria — 24.57% (2025)
• Bahrain — 10.8% (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 2.45% (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 11.16% (2025)
• Iraq — 5.53% (2025)
• Israel — 17.83% (2025)
• Jordan — 13.53% (2025)
• Kuwait — 10.09% (2025)

More public sector data for Malta

• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 733.7 million (2024)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 3.17% (2024)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — -808.4 million (2024)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) — -3.49% (2024)
• Social contributions (current LCU) — 1.17 billion (2024)
• Social contributions (% of revenue) — 15.26% (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 7.69 billion (2024)
• Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 33.22% (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (current LCU) — 2.18 billion (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (% of revenue)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Malta's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)?

1.26% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is down 0.2 percentage points from 1.46% in 2000. The highest value was 1.94% in 2005 and the lowest 1% in 2024.

How does Malta rank?

144th highest of 149 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Malta's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) rose 0.26 percentage points on 2024 (from 1% to 1.26%). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2024), the average change was −0.02 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.16 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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