Ecuador Military Spending
Ecuador spends an estimated 2.2% of GDP on its military in 2026; its most recent reported expenditure in US dollars is $2.7 billion (2025).
Defense budget and military expenditure data (1953–2027)
Data updated: July 7, 2026
Key Facts (2026 estimate)
Military Expenditure
$2.8 billion
Ranked #59 of 153 countries worldwide
Percent of GDP
2.2%
Ranked #65 of 163 countries by % of GDP
Year-over-Year Change
+3.0%
From $2.7B in 2025
Historical Peak Spending
$9.1 billion
Reached in 1995
How the 2026 figures are produced. Neither figure is a researched budget estimate. The share-of-GDP figure is the arithmetic mean of Ecuador’s last 3 reported years (2023–2025), carried across both estimate years unchanged. The dollar figure is not a per-country forecast — it is the actual SIPRI figure for 2025 raised by a flat 3%, the same rate applied to every country in this group, so it can rise even where the share-of-GDP path falls. Actual SIPRI figures for Ecuador run to 2025.
Ecuador Defense Budget Summary
In 2026, Ecuador is estimated to have spent $2.8 billion on military and defense, representing 2.2% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This budget covers the armed forces including army, navy, and air force expenditures. Ecuador is the #59 highest military spender in the world by absolute spending.
Compared to the previous year (2025), defense spending increased by 3.0%, from $2.7 billion to $2.8 billion. This change in the military budget reflects growing defense priorities.
The highest percentage of GDP allocated to defense spending was 3.2% in 2009. The historical average military budget is 2.1% of GDP.
Data source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. Values are in constant 2024 US dollars. Data for 2026 is an estimate based on government budget announcements.
Historical Military Spending
Military Spending (% of GDP)
Military Spending (USD Billions, 2024 prices)
Historical Data
| Year | Percent of GDP | USD (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 2027(estimate) | 2.21% | $2,869M |
| 2026(estimate) | 2.21% | $2,788M |
| 2025 | 2.10% | $2,707M |
| 2024 | 2.31% | $2,882M |
| 2023 | 2.22% | $2,734M |
| 2022 | 2.23% | $2,685M |
| 2021 | 2.25% | $2,587M |
| 2020 | 2.46% | $2,534M |
| 2019 | 2.18% | $2,514M |
| 2018 | 2.37% | $2,740M |
| 2017 | 2.36% | $2,640M |
| 2016 | 2.57% | $2,706M |
| 2015 | 2.67% | $2,845M |
| 2014 | 2.71% | $3,173M |
| 2013 | 2.83% | $3,227M |
| 2012 | 2.95% | $3,138M |
| 2011 | 3.11% | $3,125M |
| 2010 | 3.07% | $2,786M |
| 2009 | 3.24% | $2,685M |
| 2008 | 2.69% | $2,385M |
| 2007 | 2.63% | $2,057M |
| 2006 | 2.08% | $1,526M |
| 2005 | 2.37% | $1,583M |
| 2004 | 2.02% | $1,204M |
| 2003 | 2.39% | $1,287M |
| 2002 | 1.87% | $949M |
| 2001 | 1.66% | $812M |
| 2000 | 1.52% | $774M |
| 1999 | 1.56% | $1,690M |
| 1998 | 2.02% | $4,772M |
| 1997 | 1.81% | $5,903M |
| 1996 | 1.69% | $6,476M |
| 1995 | 1.99% | $9,133M |
| 1994 | 1.32% | $5,890M |
| 1993 | 1.51% | $6,220M |
| 1992 | 1.21% | $5,511M |
| 1991 | 1.27% | $5,746M |
| 1990 | 1.35% | $6,064M |
| 1989 | 1.43% | $5,777M |
| 1988 | 1.62% | $6,092M |
| 1987 | 1.97% | $5,695M |
| 1986 | 1.84% | $5,312M |
| 1985 | 1.78% | $5,080M |
| 1984 | 1.49% | $3,972M |
| 1983 | 1.57% | $3,811M |
| 1982 | 1.65% | $4,408M |
| 1981 | 1.68% | $4,360M |
| 1980 | 1.78% | $4,532M |
| 1979 | 1.99% | $4,560M |
| 1978 | 2.14% | $4,433M |
| 1977 | 3.08% | $6,187M |
| 1976 | 2.20% | $3,991M |
| 1975 | 2.37% | $3,850M |
| 1974 | 2.02% | $3,257M |
| 1973 | 1.98% | $2,642M |
| 1972 | 1.99% | $2,264M |
| 1971 | 1.85% | $1,945M |
| 1970 | 1.83% | $2,180M |
| 1969 | 2.37% | $2,134M |
| 1968 | 1.92% | $1,675M |
| 1967 | 1.80% | $1,509M |
| 1966 | 1.82% | $1,419M |
| 1965 | 2.07% | $1,534M |
| 1964 | 1.91% | $1,370M |
| 1963 | 1.77% | $1,178M |
| 1962 | 2.05% | $1,335M |
| 1961 | 2.05% | $1,401M |
| 1960 | 2.38% | $1,459M |
| 1959 | 1.90% | $1,087M |
| 1958 | 2.28% | $1,242M |
| 1957 | 2.41% | $1,294M |
| 1953 | 1.94% | $819M |