Somalia vs South Africa
Somalia vs South Africa: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 20.8% of government spending in Somalia and 2.2% of government spending in South Africa, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Somalia, by 18.6 percentage points, or 9.49 times that in South Africa.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Somalia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2013.
- In 2025, Somalia ranked 4 and South Africa ranked 135 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Somalia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.8 | 2.2 |
| 2024 | 22.6 | 2.3 |
| 2023 | 19 | 2.5 |
| 2022 | 16.5 | 2.7 |
| 2021 | 24.1 | 2.6 |
| 2020 | 20.8 | 2.8 |
| 2019 | 22.8 | 2.8 |
| 2018 | 28.6 | 3 |
| 2017 | 26 | 3.2 |
| 2016 | 34.8 | 3.2 |
| 2015 | 37.3 | 3.3 |
| 2014 | 40.4 | 3.5 |
| 2013 | 22.3 | 3.6 |
| 2012 | – | 3.6 |
| 2011 | – | 3.6 |
| 2010 | – | 3.5 |
| 2009 | – | 3.8 |
| 2008 | – | 4 |
| 2007 | – | 4.3 |
| 2006 | – | 4.7 |
| 2005 | – | 4.9 |
| 2004 | – | 5.3 |
| 2003 | – | 5.8 |
| 2002 | – | 6.2 |
| 2001 | – | 5.9 |
| 2000 | – | 5.5 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, 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 150 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
Somalia vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancySomalia: 58.8 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySomalia: 10.1 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySomalia: 66.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSomalia: 3.79% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateSomalia: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSomalia: 18.4 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthSomalia: 3.57% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSomalia: 6.13 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSomalia: 55.1% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageSomalia: 15.5 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSomalia: 2.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateSomalia: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSomalia: 1.54% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSomalia: $193M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personSomalia: $10 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSomalia: 14,000 people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerSomalia: 0.13% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSomalia: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSomalia: 2 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025