Russian Federation: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Russian Federation's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) rose 1.18 percentage points on 2024 (from 18.64% to 19.83%).

Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2024), the average change was +0.45 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.33 percentage points 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 3.88 percentage points in 2024 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.63 percentage points in 2017. 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 0.67 percentage points 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, Russian Federation had the 7th 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 Russian Federation in the 2025 ranking

• Somalia, Fed. Rep. — 4th of 149: 20.8%
• Oman — 5th of 149: 20.01%
• Armenia — 6th of 149: 19.89%
• South Sudan — 8th of 149: 18.38%
• Singapore — 9th of 149: 18.01%
• Israel — 10th of 149: 17.83%

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 28 values

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

• Albania — 6.71% (2025)
• Armenia — 19.89% (2025)
• Austria — 2% (2025)
• Azerbaijan — 17.68% (2025)
• Belarus — 5.71% (2025)
• Belgium — 3.67% (2025)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 1.56% (2025)
• Bulgaria — 5.2% (2025)
• Croatia — 4.14% (2025)

More public sector data for Russian Federation

• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 15.96 trillion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 7.5% (2025)
• Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 1.94 billion (2025)
• Intentional homicides, female (per 100,000 female) — 2.78 (2023)
• Intentional homicides, male (per 100,000 male) — 9.87 (2023)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 190.42 billion (2025)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 6.77 (2021)
• Battle-related deaths (number of people) — 7,670 (2024)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

19.83% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1998?

It is up 12.92 percentage points from 6.91% in 1998. The highest value was 19.83% in 2025 and the lowest 6.91% in 1998.

How does Russian Federation rank?

7th highest of 149 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Russian Federation's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) rose 1.18 percentage points on 2024 (from 18.64% to 19.83%). Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1999 to 2024), the average change was +0.45 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.33 percentage points 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.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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