Lesotho vs South Africa: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 1.63% of GDP in Lesotho and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Lesotho, by 0.89 percentage points, or 2.21 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

LesothoSouth AfricaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

Lesotho has been higher since 1994, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2025, Lesotho ranked 77 and South Africa ranked 128 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Lesotho	South Africa
2025	1.63	0.74
2024	1.62	0.76
2023	1.63	0.8
2022	1.47	0.85
2021	1.54	0.84
2020	1.88	0.96
2019	1.88	0.88
2018	2	0.89
2017	2.27	0.94
2016	1.96	0.97
2015	1.87	1.01
2014	1.95	1.02
2013	2.03	1.03
2012	2.15	1.03
2011	2.26	1
2010	3.16	1
2009	2.72	1.09
2008	1.55	1.04
2007	2.37	1.06
2006	2.07	1.15
2005	2.05	1.24
2004	2.13	1.36
2003	2.37	1.47
2002	2.52	1.53
2001	2.74	1.48
2000	3.29	1.39
1999	3.56	1.27
1998	2.85	1.38
1997	2.71	1.58
1996	2.83	1.76
1995	3.24	2.12
1994	2.74	2.56
1993	2.48	2.5
1992	2.71	2.82
1991	2.89	3.22
1990	3.55	3.9
1989	4.31	4.36
1988	3.37	4.62
1987	4.18	4.19
1986	4.84	3.82
1985	4.31	3.7
1984	3.98	3.7
1983	4.01	3.61
1982	4.36	3.61
1981	3.31	3.64
1980	3.16	3.31
1979	1.85	3.86
1978	1.51	4.56
1977	1.44	5.26
1976	1.55	4.73
1975	–	3.88
1974	–	3.09
1973	–	2.65
1972	–	2.37
1971	–	2.46
1970	–	2.33
1969	–	2.61
1968	–	2.76
1967	–	2.79
1966	–	2.71
1965	–	2.63
1964	–	2.7
1963	–	2.07
1962	–	2.26
1961	–	1.47
1960	–	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

Lesotho vs South Africa: Military spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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Lesotho vs South Africa

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