Ghana vs South Africa: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 0.48% of GDP in Ghana and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.26 percentage points, or 1.55 times that in Ghana.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

GhanaSouth AfricaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1962, when it overtook Ghana.
In 2025, Ghana ranked 141 and South Africa ranked 128 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Ghana	South Africa
2025	0.48	0.74
2024	0.35	0.76
2023	0.4	0.8
2022	0.34	0.85
2021	0.38	0.84
2020	0.35	0.96
2019	0.34	0.88
2018	0.33	0.89
2017	0.31	0.94
2016	0.29	0.97
2015	0.39	1.01
2014	0.49	1.02
2013	0.4	1.03
2012	0.59	1.03
2011	0.44	1
2010	0.28	1
2009	0.34	1.09
2008	0.29	1.04
2007	0.37	1.06
2006	0.26	1.15
2005	0.26	1.24
2004	0.28	1.36
2003	0.3	1.47
2002	0.26	1.53
2001	0.26	1.48
2000	0.44	1.39
1999	0.33	1.27
1998	0.33	1.38
1997	0.29	1.58
1996	0.29	1.76
1995	0.34	2.12
1994	0.43	2.56
1993	0.42	2.5
1992	0.38	2.82
1991	0.37	3.22
1990	0.28	3.9
1989	0.43	4.36
1988	0.44	4.62
1987	0.89	4.19
1986	0.9	3.82
1985	1	3.7
1984	0.59	3.7
1983	0.34	3.61
1982	0.54	3.61
1981	0.74	3.64
1980	0.77	3.31
1979	0.65	3.86
1978	0.85	4.56
1977	1.25	5.26
1976	1.57	4.73
1975	1.72	3.88
1974	1.58	3.09
1973	1.37	2.65
1972	1.43	2.37
1971	1.7	2.46
1970	2.12	2.33
1969	2.5	2.61
1968	2.66	2.76
1967	–	2.79
1966	2.23	2.71
1965	1.73	2.63
1964	1.92	2.7
1963	2.02	2.07
1962	2	2.26
1961	2.1	1.47
1960	1.71	0.95
1959	1.03	0.88
1958	1	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

Ghana vs South Africa: Military spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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