Kenya vs South Sudan
Kenya vs South Sudan: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 1.07% of GDP in Kenya and 3.43% of GDP in South Sudan, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Sudan, by 2.36 percentage points, or 3.21 times that in Kenya.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- South Sudan has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2008.
- In 2025, Kenya ranked 105 and South Sudan ranked 15 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | Kenya | South Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.07 | 3.43 |
| 2024 | 1.04 | 6.55 |
| 2023 | 0.98 | 2.38 |
| 2022 | 1.01 | 1.58 |
| 2021 | 1.08 | 1.51 |
| 2020 | 1.11 | 1.87 |
| 2019 | 1.11 | 3.8 |
| 2018 | 1.21 | 4.77 |
| 2017 | 1.24 | 3.99 |
| 2016 | 1.25 | 4.85 |
| 2015 | 1.2 | 8.6 |
| 2014 | 1.2 | 8.58 |
| 2013 | 1.4 | 6.57 |
| 2012 | 1.49 | 8.77 |
| 2011 | 1.38 | 6.09 |
| 2010 | 1.37 | 4.14 |
| 2009 | 1.37 | 4.97 |
| 2008 | 1.62 | 5.76 |
| 2007 | 1.55 | – |
| 2006 | 1.46 | – |
| 2005 | 1.69 | – |
| 2004 | 1.61 | – |
| 2003 | 1.65 | – |
| 2002 | 1.63 | – |
| 2001 | 1.51 | – |
| 2000 | 1.31 | – |
| 1999 | 1.19 | – |
| 1998 | 1.22 | – |
| 1997 | 1.34 | – |
| 1996 | 1.42 | – |
| 1995 | 1.65 | – |
| 1994 | 1.64 | – |
| 1993 | 1.84 | – |
| 1992 | 1.9 | – |
| 1991 | 2.35 | – |
| 1990 | 2.89 | – |
| 1989 | 2.74 | – |
| 1988 | 2.95 | – |
| 1987 | 3.13 | – |
| 1986 | 2.5 | – |
| 1985 | 2.38 | – |
| 1984 | 3.48 | – |
| 1983 | 4.2 | – |
| 1982 | 4.57 | – |
| 1981 | 4.23 | – |
| 1980 | 4.52 | – |
| 1979 | 5.5 | – |
| 1978 | 5.2 | – |
| 1977 | 3.74 | – |
| 1976 | 2.49 | – |
| 1975 | 1.88 | – |
| 1974 | 1.78 | – |
| 1973 | 1.66 | – |
| 1972 | 1.54 | – |
| 1971 | 1.23 | – |
| 1970 | 1.06 | – |
| 1969 | 1.08 | – |
| 1968 | 1.22 | – |
| 1967 | 1.31 | – |
| 1966 | 1.13 | – |
| 1965 | 0.99 | – |
| 1964 | 0.59 | – |
| 1963 | 0.21 | – |
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.
- 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
Kenya vs South Sudan
Health
- Life expectancyKenya: 63.7 years in 2023South Sudan: 57.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityKenya: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024South Sudan: 9.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityKenya: 29.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Sudan: 63.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionKenya: 3.51% in 2017South Sudan: 3.7% in 2017
- Suicide rateKenya: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017South Sudan: 12 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationKenya: 55.3 million people in 2023South Sudan: 11.5 million people in 2023
- Population growthKenya: 1.97% a year in 2023South Sudan: 5.86% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateKenya: 3.21 births per woman in 2023South Sudan: 3.86 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationKenya: 32.2% in 2025South Sudan: 21.7% in 2025
- Median ageKenya: 19.5 years in 2023South Sudan: 18 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overKenya: 2.9% in 2023South Sudan: 2.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateKenya: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Sudan: 39.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsKenya: $1.36B in 2025South Sudan: $103M in 2025
- Military spending per personKenya: $26 in 2025South Sudan: $15 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingKenya: 4.6% of government spending in 2025South Sudan: 18.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelKenya: 24,000 people in 2020South Sudan: 53,000 people in 2020
- National powerKenya: 0.23% of world capability in 2022South Sudan: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersKenya: 0.11% of the labour force in 2020South Sudan: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsKenya: 117 million TIV in 2025South Sudan: 10 million TIV in 2022