Mexico's military expenditure (current LCU) was 262.17 billion in 2025, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 202.49% from 86.67 billion in 2015 (11.7% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 262.17 billion | 2025 |
| Five years earlier | 172.87 billion | 2020 |
| Ten years earlier | 86.67 billion | 2015 |
| Highest | 376.99 billion | 2024 |
| Lowest | 1.05 million | 1960 |
| Average since 2016 | 183.65 billion | 2016–2025 |
| First recorded | 1.05 million |
What the numbers say
In 2025, Mexico's military expenditure (current LCU) fell 30.5% on 2024 (from 376.99 billion to 262.17 billion).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +14.4% and a typical year strayed about 17.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 124.2% in 1987 and the biggest yearly fall was 30.5% in 2025. 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 25.14 billion a year. A straight line explains 77% 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, Mexico had the 50th 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 Mexico in the 2025 ranking
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 | 262,173,900,000 |
| 2024 | 376,987,600,000 |
| 2023 | 210,365,200,000 |
| 2022 | 202,426,800,000 |
| 2021 | 175,995,200,000 |
| 2020 | 172,868,400,000 |
| 2019 | 127,954,900,000 |
| 2018 | 112,327,600,000 |
| 2017 | 95,744,900,000 |
| 2016 | 99,651,800,000 |
Military expenditure (current LCU) in nearby economies
- Argentina — 4.82 trillion (2025)
- Belize — 66.63 million (2025)
- Bolivia — 4.76 billion (2025)
- Brazil — 134 billion (2025)
- Chile — 5.07 trillion (2025)
- Colombia — 58.75 trillion (2025)
- Costa Rica — 0 (2025)
- Cuba — 2.92 billion (2018)
- Dominican Republic — 64 billion (2025)
- Ecuador — 2.74 billion (2025)
- El Salvador
More public sector data for Mexico
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 13.65 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.74% (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 9 million (2025)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 297.68 billion (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 0.89% (2024)
- Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 692.29 billion (2024)
- Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 10.63% (2024)
- Social contributions (current LCU) — 852.36 billion (2024)
- Social contributions (% of revenue) — 13.09% (2024)
- Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Mexico's military expenditure (current LCU)?
- 262.17 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1960?
- It is up 24.97 million% from 1.05 million in 1960 (21.07% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 376.99 billion in 2024 and the lowest 1.05 million in 1960.
- How does Mexico rank?
- 50th highest of 150 economies with data for 2025.
- Is the latest change in military expenditure (current LCU) unusual for Mexico?
- In 2025, Mexico's military expenditure (current LCU) fell 30.5% on 2024 (from 376.99 billion to 262.17 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +14.4% and a typical year strayed about 17.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
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.
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