Economy
Visualized: India vs. Pakistan Military Budgets (1980–2024)
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Visualized: India vs. Pakistan Military Budgets Since 1980
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
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 Military Budget (in Millions) | 🇵🇰 Pakistan Military Budget (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.
This article was published as a part of Visual Capitalist's Creator Program, which features data-driven visuals from some of our favorite Creators around the world.
Jobs
Ranked: The Highest-Paying Industries in the U.S. (2025)
The average salary across all U.S. industries is around $64,000. See which industries pay the most and least.
Ranked: The Highest-Paying Industries in the U.S.
This was originally posted on our Voronoi app. Download the app for free on iOS or Android and discover incredible data-driven charts from a variety of trusted sources.
The U.S. is one of the highest-paying countries globally, but the average earnings differ significantly between industries.
This infographic ranks average annual salaries across major U.S. industries using data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics as of March 2025. The data covers private industries, and annual salary figures are estimated by multiplying average weekly earnings by 52.
Which Industries Pay the Most?
The average annual salary across all U.S. industries (ex. government employees) is around $64,000. In the utilities sector, the highest-paying industry, the average employee makes nearly $114,000 annually.
Here’s a look at the highest and lowest-paying industries in America:
| Industry | Average annual earnings |
|---|---|
| Utilities | $113,823 |
| Information | $99,602 |
| Mining and logging | $92,065 |
| Financial activities | $92,021 |
| Professional and business services | $82,639 |
| Construction | $80,191 |
| Wholesale trade | $77,749 |
| Manufacturing | $73,498 |
| Transportation and warehousing | $62,118 |
| Private education and health services | $59,701 |
| Retail trade | $38,757 |
| Leisure and hospitality | $30,167 |
| Other services | $53,728 |
The BLS updates earnings data on a monthly basis. The above figures are based on data from the March 2025 release.
The utilities sector includes occupations related to electric power generation, including wind turbine technicians and solar photovoltaic installers—the two fastest-growing jobs of the next decade.
The information industry, which includes all types of software and computer-related jobs, ranks second with nearly $100,000 in average annual earnings. It’s also among the most profitable industries for companies in America.
Mining/logging and financial activities have nearly equivalent average pay of just over $92,000 per year. Other well-paying industries include professional services, construction, wholesale trade, and manufacturing—each paying more than the $64,000 average across all industries.
On the other end of the wage spectrum, the leisure and hospitality sector has the lowest average salary of around $30,000 per year. The retail trade industry, the second-biggest by number of employees, is also among the lowest-paying with around $39,000 in average annual salary.
Which Industries Are Adding the Most Jobs?
Over the 12 months ended April 2025, the private education and health services industry added 894,000 jobs, with about 70% of these additions being in the healthcare segment.
The leisure and hospitality sector followed with 225,000 new jobs, followed by transportation and warehousing (151,000) and construction (143,000).
Employment in the public sector also increased by 322,000 employees, although the Federal government shed 6,000 jobs.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
If you enjoyed this infographic, check out The Biggest Industries of 2040, on the Voronoi app.
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