But not every country has the same military or spending capabilities. In fact, some countries (like the ones on this list) spend minimally, operating their entire full-year military force on what a major power might spend in just a few days. These lower-spending countries have an increased chance of global and political challenges. Not only are they more vulnerable to foreign threats, requiring alliances and aid, but these nations also lack the more technologically advanced equipment that powers like the U.S. have.
Here, 24/7 Wall St. explored which countries spend the least on their militaries. To do so, we reviewed data on U.S. military spending from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Military Expenditure Database, for the 2022 fiscal year. Figures are in current U.S. dollars. We included supplementary data on military expenditure as a percent of GDP, a percent of government spending, region, and 2023 population data from World Population Review. We only included countries with current up-to-date financial data.
This post was updated on November 30, 2025 to provide an overview on the countries that spend the most on national military defense.
Why Are We Covering This?
The balance between military funding and other societal needs is a complex challenge for countries with limited resources. For these countries, the government must carefully consider how much to spend on the defense budget while also taking care of the needs of the people: what sometimes feels like an impossible blend of security and prosperity. Allocating resources to defense can strain government finances. This pulls away from public works, infrastructure, healthcare and more. Ultimately, it can hinder economic development within nations that have budgetary constraints. Recognizing which countries are not spending as much on their military gives insight into that country’s goals and challenges, while also explaining where many modern military alliances came from.
See the 30 countries that spend the least on military expenditures:
30. Equatorial Guinea
- Military expenditure (2022): $156.8 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.10%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 8.03%
- Population (2023): 1,675,000
- Region: Africa
29. Kyrgyzstan
- Military expenditure (2022): $149.8 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.48%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 4.32%
- Population (2023): 6,975,000
- Region: Central Asia
28. Mongolia
- Military expenditure (2022): $118.4 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.60%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 1.78%
- Population (2023): 3,398,000
- Region: East Asia
27. Somalia
- Military expenditure (2022): $115.1 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): N/A
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 20.37%
- Population (2023): 17,600,000
- Region: Africa
26. Kosovo
- Military expenditure (2022): $107.6 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.13%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.83%
- Population (2023): 1,873,000
- Region: Central Europe
25. Tajikistan
- Military expenditure (2022): $103.5 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.02%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.79%
- Population (2023): 9,953,000
- Region: Central Asia
24. Burundi
- Military expenditure (2022): $101.4 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 2.76%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 7.22%
- Population (2023): 12,890,000
- Region: Africa
23. Madagascar
- Military expenditure (2022): $98 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.65%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.15%
- Population (2023): 29,610,000
- Region: Africa
22. Montenegro
- Military expenditure (2022): $98 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.61%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.95%
- Population (2023): 617,213
- Region: Central Europe
21. Papua New Guinea
- Military expenditure (2022): $97.5 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.33%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 1.55%
- Population (2023): 10,480,000
- Region: Oceania
20. Benin
- Military expenditure (2022): $97.2 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.56%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.03%
- Population (2023): 13,350,000
- Region: Africa
19. Malta
- Military expenditure (2022): $87 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.50%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 1.22%
- Population (2023): 531,113
- Region: Western Europe
18. Guyana
- Military expenditure (2022): $84.3 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.57%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.78%
- Population (2023): 808,726
- Region: Americas
17. Nicaragua
- Military expenditure (2022): $84.2 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.53%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 1.97%
- Population (2023): 6,948,000
- Region: Americas
16. Malawi
- Military expenditure (2022): $75.8 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.64%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.86%
- Population (2023): 20,410,000
- Region: Africa
15. Eswatini
- Military expenditure (2022): $74.3 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.65%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): N/A
- Population (2023): 1,202,000
- Region: Africa
14. Fiji
- Military expenditure (2022): $66.8 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.40%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 4.22%
- Population (2023): 929,766
- Region: Oceania
13. Moldova
- Military expenditure (2022): $47.7 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.32%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 0.88%
- Population (2023): 2,539,000
- Region: Eastern Europe
12. Timor Leste
- Military expenditure (2022): $44.3 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.11%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.55%
- Population (2023): 1,341,000
- Region: South East Asia
11. Central African Republic
- Military expenditure (2022): $42 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.70%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 8.96%
- Population (2023): 5,579,000
- Region: Africa
10. Lesotho
- Military expenditure (2022): $34.7 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.47%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.60%
- Population (2023): 2,306,000
- Region: Africa
9. Seychelles
- Military expenditure (2022): $26.1 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.38%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.20%
- Population (2023): 119,878
- Region: Africa
8. Guinea-Bissau
- Military expenditure (2022): $24.5 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.61%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 7.24%
- Population (2023): 2,106,000
- Region: Africa
7. Sierra Leone
- Military expenditure (2022): $24.5 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.60%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.71%
- Population (2023): 8,606,000
- Region: Africa
6. Belize
- Military expenditure (2022): $23.7 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.86%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 3.57%
- Population (2023): 405,272
- Region: Americas
5. Mauritius
- Military expenditure (2022): $20.3 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.17%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 0.59%
- Population (2023): 1,263,000
- Region: Africa
4. Liberia
- Military expenditure (2022): $18.7 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 1.27%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 1.61%
- Population (2023): 5,303,000
- Region: Africa
3. Gambia
- Military expenditure (2022): $15.2 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.69%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 2.96%
- Population (2023): 2,706,000
- Region: Africa
2. Haiti
- Military expenditure (2022): $12.6 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.07%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 0.69%
- Population (2023): 11,580,000
- Region: Americas
1. Cape Verde
- Military expenditure (2022): $10.3 million
- Military expenditure as a pct. of GDP (2022): 0.55%
- Military expenditure as a pct. of government spending (2022): 1.57%
- Population (2023): 593,149
- Region: Africa
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