Ethiopia vs South Africa

Ethiopia vs South Africa: Arms imports

Arms imports in 2025: 63 million TIV in Ethiopia and 30 million TIV in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 33 million TIV, or 2.1 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

Ethiopia vs South Africa: Arms importsArms imports in 2025: 63 million TIV in Ethiopia and 30 million TIV in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 33 million TIV, or 2.1 times that in South Africa.
EthiopiaSouth AfricaWorld

What the numbers say

  • Ethiopia has been higher since 2025, when it overtook South Africa.
  • The world as a whole: 33.3 billion TIV in 2025.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

YearEthiopiaSouth AfricaWorld
202563 million30 million33.3 billion
202448 million–30.6 billion
20232 million30 million29.5 billion
202245 million30 million33 billion
202116 million–26.8 billion
202025 million–23.4 billion
201976 million–26.9 billion
201814 million–27.3 billion
201751 million–31.2 billion
201655 million–31.4 billion
201510 million2 million28.7 billion
201433 million50 million27 billion
2013154 million1 million27.4 billion
2012193 million127 million27.9 billion
201176 million208 million29.9 billion
201058 million178 million25.8 billion
2009–134 million24 billion
2008–493 million24.1 billion
2007–910 million26.5 billion
2006–741 million24.4 billion
2005–262 million21.3 billion
2004239 million–21.3 billion
2003174 million–19.2 billion
200220 million–17.7 billion
2001–18 million18.3 billion
2000114 million6 million20.5 billion
1999152 million21 million25.3 billion
1998208 million–27.9 billion
199769 million11 million28.9 billion
1996–38 million23.7 billion
1995–38 million22.9 billion
1994–239 million22.8 billion
1993–238 million25.8 billion
1992–361 million24.3 billion
199180 million26 million27.8 billion
19902 million10 million28.6 billion
198947 million11 million31.7 billion
1988155 million17 million32.9 billion
1987239 million20 million36.2 billion
1986348 million191 million35.5 billion
1985268 million25 million33.2 billion
1984228 million100 million36.8 billion
1983403 million192 million39.1 billion
1982516 million44 million41.4 billion
1981328 million122 million42 billion
1980330 million192 million37.4 billion
1979113 million125 million33.3 billion
1978965 million389 million39.2 billion
19771.13 billion500 million37 billion
1976113 million419 million33 billion
197558 million235 million34.2 billion
197436 million177 million32.9 billion
19735 million369 million32.6 billion
197253 million291 million28.7 billion
197154 million309 million29.3 billion
197090 million511 million22.1 billion
196924 million211 million24.7 billion
196834 million217 million22.4 billion
196731 million299 million22.1 billion
196699 million496 million22.4 billion
196514 million386 million23.1 billion
19644 million302 million24.2 billion
196327 million520 million18.1 billion
196221 million232 million15.5 billion
19614 million–15 billion
196024 million13 million15.7 billion

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • Major weapons the country received, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
  • Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
  • Ranks count the 110 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
  • The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

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