China vs South Africa
China vs South Africa: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.73% of GDP in China and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in China, by 0.99 percentage points, or 2.34 times that in South Africa.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- China has been higher since 1997, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, China ranked 74 and South Africa ranked 128 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | China | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.73 | 0.74 |
| 2024 | 1.66 | 0.76 |
| 2023 | 1.62 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 1.59 | 0.85 |
| 2021 | 1.57 | 0.84 |
| 2020 | 1.72 | 0.96 |
| 2019 | 1.65 | 0.88 |
| 2018 | 1.64 | 0.89 |
| 2017 | 1.68 | 0.94 |
| 2016 | 1.73 | 0.97 |
| 2015 | 1.74 | 1.01 |
| 2014 | 1.71 | 1.02 |
| 2013 | 1.68 | 1.03 |
| 2012 | 1.67 | 1.03 |
| 2011 | 1.63 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1.7 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1.86 | 1.09 |
| 2008 | 1.69 | 1.04 |
| 2007 | 1.72 | 1.06 |
| 2006 | 1.84 | 1.15 |
| 2005 | 1.85 | 1.24 |
| 2004 | 1.91 | 1.36 |
| 2003 | 1.97 | 1.47 |
| 2002 | 2.03 | 1.53 |
| 2001 | 1.96 | 1.48 |
| 2000 | 1.82 | 1.39 |
| 1999 | 1.86 | 1.27 |
| 1998 | 1.64 | 1.38 |
| 1997 | 1.62 | 1.58 |
| 1996 | 1.64 | 1.76 |
| 1995 | 1.68 | 2.12 |
| 1994 | 1.74 | 2.56 |
| 1993 | 1.99 | 2.5 |
| 1992 | 2.47 | 2.82 |
| 1991 | 2.31 | 3.22 |
| 1990 | 2.45 | 3.9 |
| 1989 | 2.45 | 4.36 |
| 1988 | – | 4.62 |
| 1987 | – | 4.19 |
| 1986 | – | 3.82 |
| 1985 | – | 3.7 |
| 1984 | – | 3.7 |
| 1983 | – | 3.61 |
| 1982 | – | 3.61 |
| 1981 | – | 3.64 |
| 1980 | – | 3.31 |
| 1979 | – | 3.86 |
| 1978 | – | 4.56 |
| 1977 | – | 5.26 |
| 1976 | – | 4.73 |
| 1975 | – | 3.88 |
| 1974 | – | 3.09 |
| 1973 | – | 2.65 |
| 1972 | – | 2.37 |
| 1971 | – | 2.46 |
| 1970 | – | 2.33 |
| 1969 | – | 2.61 |
| 1968 | – | 2.76 |
| 1967 | – | 2.79 |
| 1966 | – | 2.71 |
| 1965 | – | 2.63 |
| 1964 | – | 2.7 |
| 1963 | – | 2.07 |
| 1962 | – | 2.26 |
| 1961 | – | 1.47 |
| 1960 | – | 0.95 |
| 1959 | – | 0.88 |
| 1958 | – | 0.98 |
| 1957 | – | 1.3 |
| 1956 | – | 1.29 |
| 1955 | – | 1.22 |
| 1954 | – | 1.2 |
| 1953 | – | 1.35 |
| 1952 | – | 1.74 |
| 1951 | – | 1.62 |
- 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
China vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025