Nigeria: Military expenditure (current USD)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Nigeria's military expenditure (current USD) rose 85.2% on 2024 (from 1.13 billion to 2.1 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +10.7% and a typical year strayed about 36.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 330.7% in 1967 and the biggest yearly fall was 62.9% in 2024. 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 3% 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, Nigeria had the 63rd 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 Nigeria in the 2025 ranking

• Bulgaria — 59th of 150: 2.59 billion
• Jordan — 60th of 150: 2.56 billion
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 61st of 150: 2.5 billion
• Croatia — 63rd of 150: 2.1 billion
• Uruguay — 64th of 150: 1.95 billion
• Belarus — 65th of 150: 1.94 billion

What this measures

Military spending USD, in current prices (converted at the exchange rate for the given 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.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 66 values

Military expenditure (current USD) in nearby economies

• Angola — 1.46 billion (2025)
• Benin — 216.91 million (2025)
• Botswana — 614.35 million (2025)
• Burkina Faso — 891.56 million (2025)
• Burundi — 226.62 million (2025)
• Cabo Verde — 20.08 million (2025)
• Cameroon — 627.47 million (2025)
• Central African Republic — 74.19 million (2025)
• Chad — 648.81 million (2025)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 1.23 billion (2025)
• Congo, Rep.

More public sector data for Nigeria

• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 3.2 trillion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.91% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 21 million (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 223,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.23% (2020)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 5.9% (2025)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.5 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 4 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high) — 3.67 (2025)

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 Nigeria's military expenditure (current USD)?

2.1 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1960?

It is up 8,889% from 23.38 million in 1960 (7.17% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 4.44 billion in 2021 and the lowest 23.38 million in 1960.

How does Nigeria rank?

63rd highest of 150 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in military expenditure (current USD) unusual for Nigeria?

In 2025, Nigeria's military expenditure (current USD) rose 85.2% on 2024 (from 1.13 billion to 2.1 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +10.7% and a typical year strayed about 36.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.1 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.CD, 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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