Malawi vs South Africa: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 1.15% of GDP in Malawi and 0.74% of GDP in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Malawi, by 0.41 percentage points, or 1.55 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

MalawiSouth AfricaSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

Malawi has been higher since 2022, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2025, Malawi ranked 102 and South Africa ranked 128 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	Malawi	South Africa
2025	1.15	0.74
2024	1.06	0.76
2023	1.17	0.8
2022	0.93	0.85
2021	0.73	0.84
2020	0.83	0.96
2019	0.76	0.88
2018	0.59	0.89
2017	0.53	0.94
2016	0.45	0.97
2015	0.45	1.01
2014	0.58	1.02
2013	0.81	1.03
2012	0.54	1.03
2011	0.47	1
2010	0.51	1
2009	0.67	1.09
2008	0.59	1.04
2007	0.54	1.06
2006	0.55	1.15
2005	0.74	1.24
2004	0.45	1.36
2003	0.29	1.47
2002	0.3	1.53
2001	0.3	1.48
2000	0.28	1.39
1999	0.33	1.27
1998	0.34	1.38
1997	0.41	1.58
1996	0.36	1.76
1995	0.32	2.12
1994	0.58	2.56
1993	0.51	2.5
1992	0.57	2.82
1991	0.44	3.22
1990	0.58	3.9
1989	0.61	4.36
1988	0.62	4.62
1987	0.76	4.19
1986	0.86	3.82
1985	0.72	3.7
1984	0.64	3.7
1983	0.74	3.61
1982	0.94	3.61
1981	1.27	3.64
1980	1.76	3.31
1979	4.07	3.86
1978	2.7	4.56
1977	1.69	5.26
1976	1.37	4.73
1975	1.53	3.88
1974	0.97	3.09
1973	1.06	2.65
1972	0.6	2.37
1971	0.58	2.46
1970	0.64	2.33
1969	0.67	2.61
1968	0.7	2.76
1967	0.72	2.79
1966	0.65	2.71
1965	0.7	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

Malawi vs South Africa: Military spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Malawi vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment