Rwanda vs South Africa: Arms imports

Arms imports: 37 million TIV in Rwanda in 2023 and 30 million TIV in South Africa in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in Rwanda, by 7 million TIV, or 1.23 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

RwandaSouth AfricaWorld

What the numbers say

Rwanda has been higher since 2023, when it overtook South Africa.
The world as a whole: 29.5 billion TIV in 2023.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

Year	Rwanda	South Africa	World
2025	–	30 million	33.3 billion
2024	–	–	30.6 billion
2023	37 million	30 million	29.5 billion
2022	17 million	30 million	33 billion
2021	65 million	–	26.8 billion
2020	–	–	23.4 billion
2019	1 million	–	26.9 billion
2018	3 million	–	27.3 billion
2017	8 million	–	31.2 billion
2016	–	–	31.4 billion
2015	29 million	2 million	28.7 billion
2014	15 million	50 million	27 billion
2013	15 million	1 million	27.4 billion
2012	5 million	127 million	27.9 billion
2011	–	208 million	29.9 billion
2010	–	178 million	25.8 billion
2009	11 million	134 million	24 billion
2008	14 million	493 million	24.1 billion
2007	20 million	910 million	26.5 billion
2006	3 million	741 million	24.4 billion
2005	–	262 million	21.3 billion
2004	–	–	21.3 billion
2003	–	–	19.2 billion
2002	–	–	17.7 billion
2001	–	18 million	18.3 billion
2000	15 million	6 million	20.5 billion
1999	21 million	21 million	25.3 billion
1998	9 million	–	27.9 billion
1997	3 million	11 million	28.9 billion
1996	1 million	38 million	23.7 billion
1995	–	38 million	22.9 billion
1994	–	239 million	22.8 billion
1993	–	238 million	25.8 billion
1992	5 million	361 million	24.3 billion
1991	5 million	26 million	27.8 billion
1990	3 million	10 million	28.6 billion
1989	3 million	11 million	31.7 billion
1988	2 million	17 million	32.9 billion
1987	–	20 million	36.2 billion
1986	2 million	191 million	35.5 billion
1985	3 million	25 million	33.2 billion
1984	6 million	100 million	36.8 billion
1983	4 million	192 million	39.1 billion
1982	–	44 million	41.4 billion
1981	–	122 million	42 billion
1980	–	192 million	37.4 billion
1979	–	125 million	33.3 billion
1978	–	389 million	39.2 billion
1977	1 million	500 million	37 billion
1976	–	419 million	33 billion
1975	3 million	235 million	34.2 billion
1974	1 million	177 million	32.9 billion
1973	2 million	369 million	32.6 billion
1972	0	291 million	28.7 billion
1971	0	309 million	29.3 billion
1970	–	511 million	22.1 billion
1969	–	211 million	24.7 billion
1968	–	217 million	22.4 billion
1967	–	299 million	22.1 billion
1966	–	496 million	22.4 billion
1965	0	386 million	23.1 billion
1964	0	302 million	24.2 billion
1963	–	520 million	18.1 billion
1962	11 million	232 million	15.5 billion
1961	–	–	15 billion
1960	–	13 million	15.7 billion

Each country on its own

Good to know

Major weapons the country received, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV): what the arms are worth as military capability, priced by their production cost, not what was paid.
Source: SIPRI Arms Transfers Database, via the World Bank.
Ranks count the 110 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time

Rwanda vs South Africa: Arms imports

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

Rwanda vs South Africa

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment