Ireland vs South Africa: Military share of state spending

Military share of state spending in 2025: 0.9% of government spending in Ireland and 2.2% of government spending in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 1.3 percentage points, or 2.36 times that in Ireland.

Watch it change on the map

% of government spending · SIPRI

IrelandSouth AfricaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2000.
In 2025, Ireland ranked 146 and South Africa ranked 135 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of government spending · SIPRI

Year	Ireland	South Africa
2025	0.9	2.2
2024	1	2.3
2023	1	2.5
2022	1	2.7
2021	1	2.6
2020	1	2.8
2019	1.1	2.8
2018	1.1	3
2017	1.2	3.2
2016	1.2	3.2
2015	1.2	3.3
2014	1.2	3.5
2013	1.2	3.6
2012	1.2	3.6
2011	1.2	3.6
2010	0.9	3.5
2009	1.3	3.8
2008	1.4	4
2007	1.4	4.3
2006	1.5	4.7
2005	1.6	4.9
2004	1.7	5.3
2003	1.8	5.8
2002	1.9	6.2
2001	2.2	5.9
2000	2.3	5.5
1999	2.3	–
1998	2.4	–
1997	2.6	–
1996	2.6	–
1995	2.5	–
1994	2.6	–
1993	2.6	–
1992	2.6	–
1991	2.8	–
1990	2.8	–
1989	2.6	–
1988	2.5	–

Estimate

Each country on its own

Good to know

The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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

Ireland vs South Africa: Military share of state spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Ireland vs South Africa

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