El Salvador Military Spending
El Salvador spends an estimated 1.4% of GDP on its military in 2026; its most recent reported expenditure in US dollars is $489 million (2025).
Defense budget and military expenditure data (1953–2027)
Data updated: July 7, 2026
Key Facts (2026 estimate)
Military Expenditure
$504 million
Ranked #105 of 153 countries worldwide
Percent of GDP
1.4%
Ranked #105 of 163 countries by % of GDP
Year-over-Year Change
+3.1%
From $489M in 2025
Historical Peak Spending
$951 million
Reached in 1984
How the 2026 figures are produced. Neither figure is a researched budget estimate. The share-of-GDP figure is the arithmetic mean of El Salvador’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 El Salvador run to 2025.
El Salvador Defense Budget Summary
In 2026, El Salvador is estimated to have spent $504 million on military and defense, representing 1.4% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This budget covers the armed forces including army, navy, and air force expenditures. El Salvador is the #105 highest military spender in the world by absolute spending.
Compared to the previous year (2025), defense spending increased by 3.1%, from $489 million to $504 million. This change in the military budget reflects growing defense priorities.
The highest percentage of GDP allocated to defense spending was 6.6% in 1985. The historical average military budget is 1.6% 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) | 1.36% | $518M |
| 2026(estimate) | 1.36% | $504M |
| 2025 | 1.34% | $489M |
| 2024 | 1.39% | $491M |
| 2023 | 1.34% | $459M |
| 2022 | 1.44% | $481M |
| 2021 | 1.21% | $395M |
| 2020 | 1.38% | $400M |
| 2019 | 1.18% | $368M |
| 2018 | 1.13% | $342M |
| 2017 | 1.04% | $306M |
| 2016 | 1.02% | $293M |
| 2015 | 1.06% | $295M |
| 2014 | 1.04% | $277M |
| 2013 | 1.08% | $284M |
| 2012 | 1.05% | $270M |
| 2011 | 1.09% | $271M |
| 2010 | 1.09% | $259M |
| 2009 | 1.08% | $248M |
| 2008 | 0.96% | $228M |
| 2007 | 0.97% | $233M |
| 2006 | 0.89% | $209M |
| 2005 | 0.90% | $203M |
| 2004 | 0.81% | $205M |
| 2003 | 0.84% | $212M |
| 2002 | 1.13% | $276M |
| 2001 | 1.09% | $262M |
| 2000 | 0.84% | $199M |
| 1999 | 0.92% | $212M |
| 1998 | 0.92% | $206M |
| 1997 | 1.01% | $214M |
| 1996 | 1.07% | $221M |
| 1995 | 1.18% | $244M |
| 1994 | 1.35% | $262M |
| 1993 | 1.68% | $308M |
| 1992 | 2.25% | $404M |
| 1991 | 2.73% | $466M |
| 1990 | 3.41% | $514M |
| 1989 | 4.87% | $605M |
| 1988 | 4.27% | $598M |
| 1987 | 4.47% | $707M |
| 1986 | 4.33% | $816M |
| 1985 | 6.59% | $825M |
| 1984 | 6.44% | $951M |
| 1983 | 3.55% | $560M |
| 1982 | 2.78% | $481M |
| 1981 | 2.28% | $446M |
| 1980 | 1.74% | $405M |
| 1979 | 1.58% | $419M |
| 1978 | 1.12% | $306M |
| 1977 | 0.97% | $283M |
| 1976 | 0.88% | $227M |
| 1975 | 0.83% | $186M |
| 1974 | 0.80% | $188M |
| 1973 | 0.86% | $206M |
| 1972 | 0.88% | $196M |
| 1971 | 0.72% | $152M |
| 1970 | 0.63% | $128M |
| 1969 | 0.72% | $138M |
| 1968 | 0.66% | $122M |
| 1967 | 0.69% | $128M |
| 1966 | 0.71% | $126M |
| 1965 | 0.74% | $122M |
| 1964 | — | $109M |
| 1963 | — | $118M |
| 1962 | — | $122M |
| 1961 | — | $87M |
| 1960 | — | $84M |
| 1959 | — | $85M |
| 1958 | — | $103M |
| 1957 | — | $110M |
| 1956 | — | $95M |
| 1953 | — | $94M |