Canada vs South Africa

Canada vs South Africa: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 1.63% of GDP in Canada and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Canada, by 0.89 percentage points, or 2.21 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

Canada vs South Africa: Military spendingMilitary spending in 2025: 1.63% of GDP in Canada and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Canada, by 0.89 percentage points, or 2.21 times that in South Africa.
CanadaSouth AfricaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

  • Canada has been higher since 2014, when it overtook South Africa.
  • In 2025, Canada ranked 78 and South Africa ranked 128 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearCanadaSouth Africa
20251.630.74
20241.350.76
20231.320.8
20221.140.85
20211.220.84
20201.420.96
20191.220.88
20181.250.89
20171.30.94
20161.140.97
20151.171.01
20141.091.02
201311.03
20121.121.03
20111.191
20101.191
20091.381.09
20081.251.04
20071.191.06
20061.121.15
20051.111.24
20041.11.36
20031.111.47
20021.121.53
20011.131.48
20001.111.39
19991.241.27
19981.261.38
19971.251.58
19961.41.76
19951.552.12
19941.72.56
19931.822.5
19921.862.82
19911.93.22
19901.963.9
19891.944.36
19881.994.62
19872.064.19
19862.113.82
19852.13.7
19842.123.7
19832.083.61
19821.953.61
19811.713.64
19801.763.31
19791.713.86
19781.854.56
19771.815.26
19761.774.73
19751.863.88
19741.783.09
19731.832.65
19722.012.37
19712.132.46
19702.192.33
19692.272.61
19682.542.76
19672.752.79
19662.682.71
19652.932.63
19643.42.7
19633.622.07
196242.26
19614.131.47
19604.190.95
19594.40.88
19584.940.98
19575.351.3
19565.691.29
19556.181.22
19546.861.2
19537.371.35
19526.81.74
19514.661.62
19502.43–
  • Estimate

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, 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 151 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

Canada vs South Africa

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