Singapore vs South Africa
Singapore vs South Africa: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $2,980 in Singapore and $49 in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Singapore, by $2,931, or 60 times that in South Africa.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Singapore has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1988.
- In 2025, Singapore ranked 3 and South Africa ranked 100 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | Singapore | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $2,980 | $49 |
| 2024 | $2,637 | $48 |
| 2023 | $2,424 | $49 |
| 2022 | $2,167 | $56 |
| 2021 | $1,981 | $58 |
| 2020 | $1,724 | $54 |
| 2019 | $1,839 | $58 |
| 2018 | $1,886 | $62 |
| 2017 | $1,823 | $63 |
| 2016 | $1,776 | $55 |
| 2015 | $1,709 | $62 |
| 2014 | $1,769 | $71 |
| 2013 | $1,748 | $76 |
| 2012 | $1,750 | $84 |
| 2011 | $1,741 | $87 |
| 2010 | $1,612 | $81 |
| 2009 | $1,536 | $70 |
| 2008 | $1,584 | $65 |
| 2007 | $1,453 | $70 |
| 2006 | $1,348 | $70 |
| 2005 | $1,298 | $72 |
| 2004 | $1,220 | $64 |
| 2003 | $1,141 | $53 |
| 2002 | $1,090 | $37 |
| 2001 | $1,056 | $38 |
| 2000 | $1,085 | $40 |
| 1999 | $1,140 | $37 |
| 1998 | $1,157 | $41 |
| 1997 | $1,194 | $53 |
| 1996 | $1,140 | $58 |
| 1995 | $1,058 | $74 |
| 1994 | $831 | $79 |
| 1993 | $759 | $76 |
| 1992 | $733 | $87 |
| 1991 | $655 | $94 |
| 1990 | $603 | $109 |
| 1989 | $488 | $107 |
| 1988 | $429 | $113 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- 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
Singapore vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancySingapore: 83.7 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySingapore: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySingapore: 1.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSingapore: 3.44% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateSingapore: 7.3 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSingapore: 5.79 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthSingapore: 0.81% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSingapore: 0.94 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSingapore: 100% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageSingapore: 35.1 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSingapore: 13.1% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateSingapore: 4.7 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSingapore: 3.05% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSingapore: $16.9B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSingapore: 18% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSingapore: 59,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerSingapore: 0.25% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSingapore: 1.72% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSingapore: 57 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSingapore: 79 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025