Israel vs South Africa: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 7.81% of GDP in Israel and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Israel, by 7.07 percentage points, or 11 times that in South Africa.
IsraelSouth Africa
Watch it change on the map% of GDP · SIPRI
Latest figures
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Israel | 7.81 2025 | 5.28 | 3 of 151 |
| South Africa | 0.74 2025 | 1.01 | 128 of 151 |
What the numbers say
- Israel has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1960.
- In 2025, Israel ranked 3 and South Africa ranked 128 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Israel | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7.81 | 0.74 |
| 2024 | 8.47 | 0.76 |
| 2023 | 5.28 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 4.34 | 0.85 |
| 2021 | 4.81 | 0.84 |
| 2020 | 5.12 | 0.96 |
| 2019 | 4.96 | 0.88 |
| 2018 | 5.13 | 0.89 |
| 2017 | 5.27 | 0.94 |
| 2016 | 5.17 | 0.97 |
| 2015 | 5.28 | 1.01 |
| 2014 | 5.46 | 1.02 |
| 2013 | 5.28 | 1.03 |
| 2012 | 5.31 | 1.03 |
| 2011 | 5.43 | 1 |
| 2010 | 5.71 | 1 |
| 2009 | 5.92 | 1.09 |
| 2008 | 6.18 | 1.04 |
| 2007 | 6.09 | 1.06 |
| 2006 | 5.81 | 1.15 |
| 2005 | 5.98 | 1.24 |
| 2004 | 6.12 | 1.36 |
| 2003 | 6.2 | 1.47 |
| 2002 | 6.32 | 1.53 |
| 2001 | 6.21 | 1.48 |
| 2000 | 6.02 | 1.39 |
| 1999 | 6.22 | 1.27 |
| 1998 | 6.62 | 1.38 |
| 1997 | 7.08 | 1.58 |
| 1996 | 7.28 | 1.76 |
| 1995 | 7.43 | 2.12 |
| 1994 | 10.12 | 2.56 |
| 1993 | 11.52 | 2.5 |
| 1992 | 10.93 | 2.82 |
| 1991 | 15.59 | 3.22 |
| 1990 | 12.36 | 3.9 |
| 1989 | 12.45 | 4.36 |
| 1988 | 15.95 | 4.62 |
| 1987 | 16.9 | 4.19 |
| 1986 | 14.77 | 3.82 |
| 1985 | 16.6 | 3.7 |
| 1984 | 16.18 | 3.7 |
| 1983 | 15.55 | 3.61 |
| 1982 | 18.39 | 3.61 |
| 1981 | 20.26 | 3.64 |
| 1980 | 18.92 | 3.31 |
| 1979 | 19.38 | 3.86 |
| 1978 | 22.89 | 4.56 |
| 1977 | 23.09 | 5.26 |
| 1976 | 29.25 | 4.73 |
| 1975 | 30.46 | 3.88 |
| 1974 | 27.66 | 3.09 |
| 1973 | 27.86 | 2.65 |
| 1972 | 20.37 | 2.37 |
| 1971 | 22.8 | 2.46 |
| 1970 | 23.45 | 2.33 |
| 1969 | 19.09 | 2.61 |
| 1968 | 17.43 | 2.76 |
| 1967 | 15.44 | 2.79 |
| 1966 | 9.44 | 2.71 |
| 1965 | 8.57 | 2.63 |
| 1964 | 8.99 | 2.7 |
| 1963 | 9.75 | 2.07 |
| 1962 | 9.16 | 2.26 |
| 1961 | 7.87 | 1.47 |
| 1960 | 7.46 | 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
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