Ethiopia vs South Sudan
Ethiopia vs South Sudan: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.49% of GDP in Ethiopia and 3.43% of GDP in South Sudan, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Sudan, by 2.93 percentage points, or 6.94 times that in Ethiopia.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Sudan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2008.
- In 2025, Ethiopia ranked 140 and South Sudan ranked 15 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Ethiopia | South Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.49 | 3.43 |
| 2024 | 0.49 | 6.55 |
| 2023 | 0.77 | 2.38 |
| 2022 | 0.86 | 1.58 |
| 2021 | 0.44 | 1.51 |
| 2020 | 0.47 | 1.87 |
| 2019 | 0.56 | 3.8 |
| 2018 | 0.63 | 4.77 |
| 2017 | 0.68 | 3.99 |
| 2016 | 0.68 | 4.85 |
| 2015 | 0.67 | 8.6 |
| 2014 | 0.73 | 8.58 |
| 2013 | 0.81 | 6.57 |
| 2012 | 0.87 | 8.77 |
| 2011 | 1.06 | 6.09 |
| 2010 | 1.11 | 4.14 |
| 2009 | 1.21 | 4.97 |
| 2008 | 1.53 | 5.76 |
| 2007 | 1.91 | – |
| 2006 | 2.31 | – |
| 2005 | 2.81 | – |
| 2004 | 3.13 | – |
| 2003 | 3.3 | – |
| 2002 | 3.76 | – |
| 2001 | 4.39 | – |
| 2000 | 7.69 | – |
| 1999 | 9.51 | – |
| 1998 | 7.28 | – |
| 1997 | 3.34 | – |
| 1996 | 2.12 | – |
| 1995 | 2.23 | – |
| 1994 | 2.87 | – |
| 1993 | 3.07 | – |
| 1992 | 3.44 | – |
| 1991 | 5.71 | – |
| 1990 | 9.66 | – |
| 1989 | 10.28 | – |
| 1988 | 8.5 | – |
| 1987 | 6.86 | – |
| 1986 | 6.7 | – |
| 1985 | 6.82 | – |
| 1984 | 7.97 | – |
| 1983 | 7.18 | – |
| 1982 | 7.54 | – |
| 1981 | 7.54 | – |
| 1980 | 8.71 | – |
| 1979 | 6.89 | – |
| 1978 | 4.81 | – |
| 1977 | 3.97 | – |
| 1976 | 4.13 | – |
| 1975 | 4.49 | – |
| 1974 | 2.8 | – |
| 1973 | 1.93 | – |
| 1972 | 1.94 | – |
| 1971 | 1.91 | – |
| 1970 | 1.88 | – |
| 1969 | 2.02 | – |
| 1968 | 2.2 | – |
| 1967 | 2.49 | – |
| 1966 | 3.11 | – |
| 1965 | 3.23 | – |
| 1964 | 2.92 | – |
| 1963 | 2.43 | – |
| 1962 | 1.93 | – |
| 1961 | 1.86 | – |
- 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 Sudan
Health
- Life expectancyEthiopia: 67.3 years in 2023South Sudan: 57.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEthiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Sudan: 9.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEthiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Sudan: 63.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEthiopia: 3.82% in 2017South Sudan: 3.7% in 2017
- Suicide rateEthiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Sudan: 12 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEthiopia: 129 million people in 2023South Sudan: 11.5 million people in 2023
- Population growthEthiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023South Sudan: 5.86% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEthiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023South Sudan: 3.86 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEthiopia: 24.1% in 2025South Sudan: 21.7% in 2025
- Median ageEthiopia: 18.7 years in 2023South Sudan: 18 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEthiopia: 3.2% in 2023South Sudan: 2.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateEthiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Sudan: 39.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsEthiopia: $785M in 2025South Sudan: $103M in 2025
- Military spending per personEthiopia: $4 in 2025South Sudan: $15 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEthiopia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025South Sudan: 18.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelEthiopia: 138,000 people in 2020South Sudan: 53,000 people in 2020
- National powerEthiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022South Sudan: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEthiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020South Sudan: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEthiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025South Sudan: 10 million TIV in 2022