Switzerland: Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Switzerland's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) rose 0.17 percentage points on 2024 (from 2.18% to 2.36%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.12 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 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 0.21 percentage points in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.64 percentage points in 1993. 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 0.03 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 48% 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, Switzerland had the 132nd 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 Switzerland in the 2025 ranking

• Ghana — 128th of 149: 2.4%
• Timor-Leste — 129th of 149: 2.38%
• Haiti — 130th of 149: 2.36%
• Cabo Verde — 132nd of 149: 2.34%
• Brazil — 133rd of 149: 2.2%
• South Africa — 134th of 149: 2.19%

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 38 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 Switzerland

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 7.59 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 6.31 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0.76% (2025)
• Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 129 million (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 33 million (2023)
• Social contributions (current LCU) — 55.27 billion (2024)
• Taxes on goods and services (current LCU) — 43.17 billion (2024)
• Customs and other import duties (current LCU) — 738.17 million (2024)
• Customs and other import duties (% of tax revenue) — 0.91% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

2.36% in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1988?

It is down 3.02 percentage points from 5.38% in 1988. The highest value was 5.52% in 1990 and the lowest 1.96% in 2021.

How does Switzerland rank?

132nd highest of 149 economies with data for 2025.

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

In 2025, Switzerland's military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) rose 0.17 percentage points on 2024 (from 2.18% to 2.36%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was −0.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.12 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.9 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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