Dominican Republic Military Spending
Military expenditure as % of GDP MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS
Dominican Republic's military spending was 0.79% in 2025, ranked 125th globally. This represents a 0.7% increase from 2024. Data from World Bank, covering 1960–2025.
Overview
Dominican Republic's military spending stood at 0.79% in 2025, a rise of +0.01% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 0.79% by 2025. Dominican Republic ranked 125th globally.
Dominican Republic’s military spending has contracted sharply since the early 1960s, falling from a peak of 5.23 percent of GDP in 1960 to an all‑time trough of 0.35 percent in 1991, and reaching just 0.79 percent in 2025, ranking 125th worldwide. The decline reflects a long‑term reallocation of fiscal resources toward social and infrastructure programmes, a pattern also observed in peer economies such as Indonesia, which recorded 0.76 percent of GDP in the same year. Over the 66‑year series, the Dominican Republic’s defense outlays have consistently trended downward, with the most pronounced drop occurring during the early 1990s when regional security concerns eased and external security assistance increased. If the government continues to prioritise non‑defense spending and maintains macro‑fiscal stability, the modest rise to 0.79 percent suggests a plateau rather than a resurgence, implying that future military budgets will likely remain low unless a major geopolitical shift or security crisis prompts a policy reversal.
Data & projection
| Year | Military Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 0.83% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 0.81% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 0.79% | - | - |
| 2025 | 0.79% | +0.01% | #125 |
| 2024 | 0.78% | +0.00% | #27 |
| 2023 | 0.78% | +0.10% | #25 |
| 2022 | 0.68% | +0.03% | #20 |
| 2021 | 0.65% | −0.10% | #17 |
| 2020 | 0.75% | +0.06% | #21 |
| 2019 | 0.69% | −0.00% | #20 |
| 2018 | 0.69% | +0.03% | #23 |
| 2017 | 0.67% | +0.03% | #18 |
| 2016 | 0.63% | −0.01% | #16 |
| 2015 | 0.64% | −0.01% | #17 |
| 2014 | 0.65% | +0.04% | #17 |
| 2013 | 0.61% | −0.04% | #18 |
| 2012 | 0.65% | +0.05% | #18 |
| 2011 | 0.60% | −0.06% | #18 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
Dominican Republic matched the Orthodox Tightening Cycle pattern in 2004. Historically, 57% of countries showing this pattern (177 out of 311) saw military spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
Dominican Republic's military spending was 0.79% in 2025. Ranked 125th globally. This represents a 0.7% increase from the previous year.
Dominican Republic's military spending peaked at 5.23% in 1960.
The lowest military spending in Dominican Republic was 0.35% in 1991.
Dominican Republic ranks 125th globally in military spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
Dominican Republic's military spending is projected to reach 0.79% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The military spending of Dominican Republic in 2025 was 0.79%. This ranks 125th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_dominican-republic_military-spending,
title = {Dominican Republic Military Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/dominican-republic/military-spending/},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}