Bangladesh vs South Africa
Bangladesh vs South Africa: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 7.1% of government spending in Bangladesh and 2.2% of government spending in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Bangladesh, by 4.9 percentage points, or 3.25 times that in South Africa.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Bangladesh has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
- In 2025, Bangladesh ranked 43 and South Africa ranked 135 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Bangladesh | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.1 | 2.2 |
| 2024 | 7.2 | 2.3 |
| 2023 | 6.9 | 2.5 |
| 2022 | 7.6 | 2.7 |
| 2021 | 9 | 2.6 |
| 2020 | 9.4 | 2.8 |
| 2019 | 9.2 | 2.8 |
| 2018 | 8.9 | 3 |
| 2017 | 9.2 | 3.2 |
| 2016 | 10.6 | 3.2 |
| 2015 | 10.5 | 3.3 |
| 2014 | 9.7 | 3.5 |
| 2013 | 9.2 | 3.6 |
| 2012 | 10.1 | 3.6 |
| 2011 | 10.6 | 3.6 |
| 2010 | 11.2 | 3.5 |
| 2009 | 9.7 | 3.8 |
| 2008 | 8.1 | 4 |
| 2007 | 10.4 | 4.3 |
| 2006 | 9.8 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 9.5 | 4.9 |
| 2004 | 10.1 | 5.3 |
| 2003 | 9.9 | 5.8 |
| 2002 | 10.1 | 6.2 |
| 2001 | 10.5 | 5.9 |
| 2000 | 12.3 | 5.5 |
| 1999 | 14.2 | – |
| 1998 | 12.3 | – |
| 1997 | 12.3 | – |
| 1996 | 12 | – |
| 1995 | 11.4 | – |
| 1994 | 11.8 | – |
| 1993 | 11.2 | – |
| 1992 | 11.6 | – |
| 1991 | 10.4 | – |
| 1990 | 10.3 | – |
| 1989 | 10.5 | – |
| 1988 | 10.3 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Marked points are SIPRI’s own: a dot where it gives the figure as its estimate, a ring where it calls the figure highly uncertain.
- Ranks count the 150 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Bangladesh vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyBangladesh: 74.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBangladesh: 3.1 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBangladesh: 22.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBangladesh: 4.11% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateBangladesh: 6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBangladesh: 172 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBangladesh: 1.21% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBangladesh: 2.16 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBangladesh: 33.2% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageBangladesh: 25.3 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBangladesh: 6.3% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBangladesh: -3.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBangladesh: 0.81% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBangladesh: $3.67B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personBangladesh: $22 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelBangladesh: 227,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerBangladesh: 1.01% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBangladesh: 0.32% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBangladesh: 32 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBangladesh: 2 million TIV in 1984South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025