Ethiopia vs South Africa: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 0.49% of GDP in Ethiopia and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.24 percentage points, or 1.49 times that in Ethiopia.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

EthiopiaSouth AfricaSIPRI estimateHighly uncertain

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2023, when it overtook Ethiopia.
In 2025, Ethiopia ranked 140 and South Africa ranked 128 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Ethiopia	South Africa
2025	0.49	0.74
2024	0.49	0.76
2023	0.77	0.8
2022	0.86	0.85
2021	0.44	0.84
2020	0.47	0.96
2019	0.56	0.88
2018	0.63	0.89
2017	0.68	0.94
2016	0.68	0.97
2015	0.67	1.01
2014	0.73	1.02
2013	0.81	1.03
2012	0.87	1.03
2011	1.06	1
2010	1.11	1
2009	1.21	1.09
2008	1.53	1.04
2007	1.91	1.06
2006	2.31	1.15
2005	2.81	1.24
2004	3.13	1.36
2003	3.3	1.47
2002	3.76	1.53
2001	4.39	1.48
2000	7.69	1.39
1999	9.51	1.27
1998	7.28	1.38
1997	3.34	1.58
1996	2.12	1.76
1995	2.23	2.12
1994	2.87	2.56
1993	3.07	2.5
1992	3.44	2.82
1991	5.71	3.22
1990	9.66	3.9
1989	10.28	4.36
1988	8.5	4.62
1987	6.86	4.19
1986	6.7	3.82
1985	6.82	3.7
1984	7.97	3.7
1983	7.18	3.61
1982	7.54	3.61
1981	7.54	3.64
1980	8.71	3.31
1979	6.89	3.86
1978	4.81	4.56
1977	3.97	5.26
1976	4.13	4.73
1975	4.49	3.88
1974	2.8	3.09
1973	1.93	2.65
1972	1.94	2.37
1971	1.91	2.46
1970	1.88	2.33
1969	2.02	2.61
1968	2.2	2.76
1967	2.49	2.79
1966	3.11	2.71
1965	3.23	2.63
1964	2.92	2.7
1963	2.43	2.07
1962	1.93	2.26
1961	1.86	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
Highly uncertain

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

Ethiopia vs South Africa

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Conflict

Deaths in conflictsEthiopia: 102,900 deaths in 2022South Africa: 0 deaths in 2022