Algeria: Defence remains top budget expenditure
Algeria’s government presented its 2026 draft budget, with Defence representing just under 20 percent of expenses (roughly $25 billion), on par with the Ministry of Finance, reported The New Arab and agencies on 11th October. The draft was approved by the Council of Ministers and is expected to be presented to Parliament shortly.
This represents a significant increase compared to previous years: in 2023, the defence budget was around $18 billion. Key sectors such as Education (with $13.7 billion) and Health ($5 billion) lag behind, despite health workers and teachers’ strikes earlier this year, protesting against low wages and poor working conditions.
It is the largest defence budget in North Africa, far ahead of Egypt ($5.9 billion military budget), Morocco ($13.4 billion), and Tunisia ($1.4 billion). Egypt, however, remains the first African military power, thanks to its very large number of active personnel and reservists, as well as US military aid.
Algeria’s record budget comes out in a context of tense relationships with its neighbours, Mali (since the drone crisis) and Morocco, with the ongoing dispute over Western Sahara; instability in Libya; and the Gaza war impacting the wider region.
The southern borders are also a cause for concern, with drug and weapons trade, illegal immigration routes towards Europe and the proliferation of extremist groups in the Sahel.
In June, the Algerian Parliament also passed a new law cementing the army’s influence on national issues; the ‘General Mobilisation Law’ prepares the country for a war scenario, with provisions placing public and private resources under army control.
It aims to organize the mobilization of citizens and infrastructure, and the protection of the national territory in crisis situations. It also includes harsh measures against journalists or anyone sharing sensitive information, which have been widely criticized as an attempt to restrict freedom of press. With President Abdelmajid Tebboune also acting as Minister of National Defence and Leader of Armed Forces, Algeria appears increasingly militarized, with power and funds concentrated in the hands of the army elites.
The New Arab via RFI
Want to chase the pulse of North Africa?
Subscribe to receive our FREE weekly PDF magazine
