Iran vs South Africa

Iran vs South Africa: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 2.09% of GDP in Iran and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iran, by 1.35 percentage points, or 2.84 times that in South Africa.

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% of GDP · SIPRI

Iran vs South Africa: Military spendingMilitary spending in 2025: 2.09% of GDP in Iran and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Iran, by 1.35 percentage points, or 2.84 times that in South Africa.
IranSouth AfricaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

  • Iran has been higher since 1995, when it overtook South Africa.
  • In 2025, Iran ranked 54 and South Africa ranked 128 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearIranSouth Africa
20252.090.74
20242.220.76
20232.490.8
20222.240.85
20212.320.84
20202.180.96
20192.150.88
20182.360.89
20172.840.94
20162.80.97
20152.561.01
20142.121.02
20132.181.03
20122.691.03
20112.381
20102.791
20093.051.09
20082.681.04
20072.651.06
20063.321.15
20053.041.24
20042.841.36
20032.411.47
20022.181.53
20012.421.48
20002.31.39
19992.411.27
19982.631.38
19972.51.58
19962.251.76
19952.152.12
19942.072.56
19931.72.5
19921.792.82
19912.173.22
19902.943.9
19894.564.36
19886.274.62
19875.894.19
19866.083.82
19856.513.7
19846.363.7
19837.13.61
19827.913.61
19818.193.64
19805.343.31
19795.83.86
197811.114.56
197710.195.26
197611.254.73
197512.073.88
19748.753.09
19731.872.65
19722.282.37
19713.052.46
19705.862.33
19695.972.61
19685.182.76
19674.462.79
19663.822.71
19653.252.63
19642.882.7
19632.592.07
19622.312.26
19612.351.47
19602.30.95
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

Iran vs South Africa

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