Papua New Guinea: Military expenditure (current USD)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Papua New Guinea's military expenditure (current USD) rose 16.4% on 2024 (from 91.52 million to 106.48 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +3.5% and a typical year strayed about 26.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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 177.1% in 1976 and the biggest yearly fall was 37.5% in 1998. 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 3.34 million a year. A straight line explains 38% 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, Papua New Guinea had the 134th 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 Papua New Guinea in the 2025 ranking

• Madagascar — 130th of 150: 119.68 million
• Nicaragua — 131st of 150: 116.37 million
• Moldova — 132nd of 150: 113.29 million
• Eswatini — 134th of 150: 93.36 million
• Fiji — 135th of 150: 81.16 million
• Central African Republic — 136th of 150: 74.19 million

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 48 values

Military expenditure (current USD) in nearby economies

• Australia — 35.33 billion (2025)
• Brunei Darussalam — 560.27 million (2024)
• Cambodia — 738.95 million (2025)
• China — 335.52 billion (2025)
• Fiji — 81.16 million (2025)
• Indonesia — 15.03 billion (2025)
• Japan — 62.16 billion (2025)
• Korea, Rep. — 47.77 billion (2025)
• Malaysia — 4.93 billion (2025)
• Mongolia — 221.32 million (2025)
• Myanmar

More public sector data for Papua New Guinea

• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 441.91 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.35% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 1.59% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 4,000 (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.12% (2020)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) — -1.4 billion (2024)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (% of GDP) — -1.18% (2024)
• Central government debt, total (current LCU) — 61.72 billion (2024)
• Central government debt, total (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Papua New Guinea's military expenditure (current USD)?

106.48 million in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is up 1,242% from 7.93 million in 1975 (5.33% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 133.07 million in 2022 and the lowest 7.93 million in 1975.

How does Papua New Guinea rank?

134th highest of 150 economies with data for 2025.

Is the latest change in military expenditure (current USD) unusual for Papua New Guinea?

In 2025, Papua New Guinea's military expenditure (current USD) rose 16.4% on 2024 (from 91.52 million to 106.48 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +3.5% and a typical year strayed about 26.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 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.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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