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Pallavi Rao
2025-05-09 06:10:00
www.visualcapitalist.com
See this visualization first on the Voronoi app.
Visualized: India vs. Pakistan Military Budgets Since 1980
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On April 22nd, militants opened fire and killed 22 civilians and wounded 17 others near Pahalgam, a popular tourist spot in Kashmir.
A Kashmiri resistant group, “The Resistance Front” claimed responsibility for the attack.
India’s government blamed Pakistan for the attack, a charge that Islamabad denied. Both countries expelled ambassadors, suspended diplomatic ties, and closed airspace to each other’s airlines.
The disputed territory of Kashmir is claimed in full, and administered in part by both countries, a conflict that stems from the partition of British Indian territory back in 1947.
Since then, India and Pakistan have fought three wars, two over Kashmir, with countless cross-border skirmishes in the intervening years.
How India’s Military Budget Compares to Pakistan’s
With data sourced from the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, creator Statista has visualized each country’s annual military expenditure since 1980.
| Year |  India’s MilitaryBudget (in Millions) |  Pakistan MilitaryBudget (in Millions) | Gap b/w India & Pakistan |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | $5,421 | $1,429 | 3.8x |
| 1981 | $5,879 | $1,737 | 3.4x |
| 1982 | $6,302 | $1,853 | 3.4x |
| 1983 | $6,831 | $1,986 | 3.4x |
| 1984 | $6,957 | $2,114 | 3.3x |
| 1985 | $7,567 | $2,144 | 3.5x |
| 1986 | $9,539 | $2,283 | 4.2x |
| 1987 | $10,877 | $2,500 | 4.4x |
| 1988 | $11,346 | $2,722 | 4.2x |
| 1989 | $10,590 | $2,580 | 4.1x |
| 1990 | $10,537 | $2,810 | 3.7x |
| 1991 | $8,623 | $3,067 | 2.8x |
| 1992 | $8,083 | $3,389 | 2.4x |
| 1993 | $8,254 | $3,309 | 2.5x |
| 1994 | $8,881 | $3,321 | 2.7x |
| 1995 | $9,755 | $3,666 | 2.7x |
| 1996 | $9,905 | $3,548 | 2.8x |
| 1997 | $11,465 | $3,320 | 3.5x |
| 1998 | $11,921 | $3,219 | 3.7x |
| 1999 | $13,896 | $3,081 | 4.5x |
| 2000 | $14,288 | $2,973 | 4.8x |
| 2001 | $14,601 | $2,842 | 5.1x |
| 2002 | $14,750 | $3,273 | 4.5x |
| 2003 | $16,334 | $3,723 | 4.4x |
| 2004 | $20,239 | $4,128 | 4.9x |
| 2005 | $23,072 | $4,587 | 5.0x |
| 2006 | $23,952 | $4,969 | 4.8x |
| 2007 | $28,255 | $5,343 | 5.3x |
| 2008 | $33,002 | $5,227 | 6.3x |
| 2009 | $38,722 | $5,275 | 7.3x |
| 2010 | $46,090 | $5,975 | 7.7x |
| 2011 | $49,634 | $6,955 | 7.1x |
| 2012 | $47,217 | $7,479 | 6.3x |
| 2013 | $47,404 | $7,656 | 6.2x |
| 2014 | $50,914 | $8,677 | 5.9x |
| 2015 | $51,296 | $9,506 | 5.4x |
| 2016 | $56,638 | $10,005 | 5.7x |
| 2017 | $64,559 | $11,378 | 5.7x |
| 2018 | $66,258 | $11,537 | 5.7x |
| 2019 | $71,469 | $10,223 | 7.0x |
| 2020 | $72,937 | $10,241 | 7.1x |
| 2021 | $76,349 | $11,649 | 6.6x |
| 2022 | $79,977 | $10,358 | 7.7x |
| 2023 | $82,293 | $8,626 | 9.5x |
| 2024 | $86,126 | $10,166 | 8.5x |
For four straight decades, India’s military spending has dwarfed Pakistan’s.
In 2024 India’s defense budget came in at $86 billion, nearly eight times Pakistan’s at $10 billion.
Notably, India possesses one of the largest standing armies in the world, and much of this expenditure goes towards pensions and payroll.
On a per capita basis, India spends about $60 per resident vs. Pakistan’s $41.
| Year | India per Capita Spend | Share of Revenue to Military | Pakistan per Capita Spend | Share of Revenue to Military |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | $9 | 11% | $26 | 25% |
| 1994 | $10 | 10% | $26 | 27% |
| 1995 | $10 | 11% | $28 | 27% |
| 1996 | $10 | 10% | $26 | 25% |
| 1997 | $12 | 11% | $24 | 25% |
| 1998 | $12 | 11% | $22 | 23% |
| 1999 | $14 | 12% | $21 | 24% |
| 2000 | $14 | 12% | $20 | 22% |
| 2001 | $14 | 11% | $18 | 24% |
| 2002 | $14 | 10% | $20 | 23% |
| 2003 | $15 | 9% | $23 | 25% |
| 2004 | $18 | 10% | $24 | 26% |
| 2005 | $20 | 10% | $27 | 24% |
| 2006 | $21 | 9% | $28 | 21% |
| 2007 | $24 | 9% | $29 | 18% |
| 2008 | $28 | 9% | $28 | 16% |
| 2009 | $32 | 10% | $28 | 17% |
| 2010 | $37 | 10% | $30 | 17% |
| 2011 | $40 | 10% | $35 | 17% |
| 2012 | $37 | 9% | $36 | 16% |
| 2013 | $37 | 9% | $37 | 16% |
| 2014 | $39 | 10% | $41 | 17% |
| 2015 | $39 | 9% | $44 | 18% |
| 2016 | $42 | 9% | $46 | 18% |
| 2017 | $48 | 9% | $51 | 18% |
| 2018 | $49 | 9% | $51 | 19% |
| 2019 | $52 | 9% | $45 | 18% |
| 2020 | $52 | 9% | $44 | 17% |
| 2021 | $54 | 8% | $49 | 18% |
| 2022 | $56 | 8% | $43 | 16% |
| 2023 | $58 | 8% | $35 | 15% |
| 2024 | $60 | 8% | $41 | 14% |
However Pakistan directs aside about 14% of its government spending towards its military, vs. India’s 8%.
What’s Happening Between India and Pakistan Now
Earlier this week India launched missiles into Pakistani territory, an operation they said was targeting terrorist hideouts and not military infrastructure.
In response Pakistan returned shelling from their side of the border. Both governments have stated that civilians have been caught in the crossfire.
Additionally, Pakistan’s military said it shot down five Indian aircraft, a claim not yet confirmed by New Delhi.
The international community has called for de-escalation between the two nuclear-armed countries.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
India’s massive defense budget reflects its large economy, fueled by strong consumer demand from the world’s biggest population. Check out: Visualizing India’s Population Clusters, a 3D map that shows where Indians live.
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