Japan vs South Africa
Japan vs South Africa: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $59.5B in Japan and $3B in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Japan, by $56.5B, or 20 times that in South Africa.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Japan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1952.
- In 2025, Japan ranked 10 and South Africa ranked 53 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | Japan | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $59.5B | $3B |
| 2024 | $54.3B | $3.03B |
| 2023 | $45.9B | $3.21B |
| 2022 | $39.8B | $3.42B |
| 2021 | $42.3B | $3.39B |
| 2020 | $39.3B | $3.6B |
| 2019 | $39.7B | $3.47B |
| 2018 | $38.6B | $3.49B |
| 2017 | $36.7B | $3.64B |
| 2016 | $37B | $3.69B |
| 2015 | $37.2B | $3.79B |
| 2014 | $36.6B | $3.76B |
| 2013 | $36.2B | $3.76B |
| 2012 | $36.3B | $3.68B |
| 2011 | $36.8B | $3.53B |
| 2010 | $36.3B | $3.4B |
| 2009 | $36.1B | $3.52B |
| 2008 | $35.5B | $3.36B |
| 2007 | $35.8B | $3.38B |
| 2006 | $36.3B | $3.43B |
| 2005 | $36.8B | $3.39B |
| 2004 | $36.8B | $3.05B |
| 2003 | $37B | $2.95B |
| 2002 | $36.9B | $2.98B |
| 2001 | $36.7B | $2.72B |
| 2000 | $36.1B | $2.43B |
| 1999 | $35.9B | $2.07B |
| 1998 | $36.1B | $2.16B |
| 1997 | $36.1B | $2.44B |
| 1996 | $35.8B | $2.65B |
| 1995 | $35.1B | $3.05B |
| 1994 | $34.6B | $3.43B |
| 1993 | $34.6B | $3.22B |
| 1992 | $34.7B | $3.48B |
| 1991 | $34.2B | $4.04B |
| 1990 | $33.4B | $4.92B |
| 1989 | $31.8B | $5.46B |
| 1988 | $30.5B | $5.54B |
| 1987 | $29B | $4.72B |
| 1986 | $27.9B | $4.27B |
| 1985 | $26.7B | $4.19B |
| 1984 | $25.3B | $4.22B |
| 1983 | $24.2B | $3.92B |
| 1982 | $23.1B | $3.86B |
| 1981 | $22.3B | $3.92B |
| 1980 | $21.6B | $3.54B |
| 1979 | $21.2B | $3.54B |
| 1978 | $20B | $3.96B |
| 1977 | $18.9B | $4.41B |
| 1976 | $18.3B | $3.97B |
| 1975 | $18.2B | $3.2B |
| 1974 | $17.5B | $2.55B |
| 1973 | $17B | $1.98B |
| 1972 | $16.2B | $1.57B |
| 1971 | $14.5B | $1.54B |
| 1970 | $13.1B | $1.4B |
| 1969 | $12B | $1.48B |
| 1968 | $11B | $1.44B |
| 1967 | $10.3B | $1.37B |
| 1966 | $9.64B | $1.23B |
| 1965 | $8.92B | $1.14B |
| 1964 | $8.31B | $1.11B |
| 1963 | $7.57B | $791M |
| 1962 | $6.97B | $790M |
| 1961 | $6.81B | $489M |
| 1960 | $7B | $307M |
| 1959 | $6.99B | $269M |
| 1958 | $7B | $286M |
| 1957 | $6.85B | $381M |
| 1956 | $7.16B | $264M |
| 1955 | $7.66B | $235M |
| 1954 | $7.38B | $227M |
| 1953 | $6.55B | $242M |
| 1952 | $6.3B | $284M |
| 1951 | – | $268M |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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
Japan vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyJapan: 84.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityJapan: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityJapan: 1.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionJapan: 3.34% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateJapan: 15.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationJapan: 124 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthJapan: -0.48% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateJapan: 1.21 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationJapan: 92.3% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageJapan: 49 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overJapan: 29.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateJapan: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingJapan: 1.41% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending per personJapan: $504 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingJapan: 3.8% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelJapan: 261,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerJapan: 2.47% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersJapan: 0.38% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsJapan: 1.72 billion TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsJapan: 28 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025