Military spending: Morocco cuts budget, Algeria explodes

A Royal Air Force F-16 during the African Lion military exercise. Credit: Fadel Senna/ AFP

According to the latest Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) report for 2023, Morocco’s military spending fell by 2.5% to $5.2 billion (MM$), or 3.64% of its GDP.

The same report shows, on the contrary, that Algeria has increased its military budget by 76 percent, amounting to $18.3 billion, a record for its eastern neighbor, which has seen the largest annual increase in military spending since 1974.

SIPRI explains this strong increase in Algeria to unexpected revenues from gas exports to European countries. Between them, however, the Maghreb pillars remain, according to the same reference source, the largest arms budgets in the North African sub-region, together representing 82% of North Africa’s military spending in 2023.

Read also our Datadesk > Morocco-Algeria: who would gain the upper hand in case of war?