Somalia vs South Sudan
Somalia vs South Sudan: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 20.8% of government spending in Somalia and 18.4% of government spending in South Sudan, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Somalia, by 2.4 percentage points, or 1.13 times that in South Sudan.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Somalia has been higher since 2025, when it overtook South Sudan.
- In 2025, Somalia ranked 4 and South Sudan ranked 8 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | Somalia | South Sudan |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 20.8 | 18.4 |
| 2024 | 22.6 | 35.1 |
| 2023 | 19 | 10.8 |
| 2022 | 16.5 | 5.7 |
| 2021 | 24.1 | 3.4 |
| 2020 | 20.8 | 5.5 |
| 2019 | 22.8 | 7.9 |
| 2018 | 28.6 | 9.8 |
| 2017 | 26 | 6.2 |
| 2016 | 34.8 | 9 |
| 2015 | 37.3 | 26 |
| 2014 | 40.4 | 23.7 |
| 2013 | 22.3 | 25.9 |
| 2012 | – | 27.7 |
| 2011 | – | 29 |
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 Sudan
Health
- Life expectancySomalia: 58.8 years in 2023South Sudan: 57.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySomalia: 10.1 per 100 live births in 2024South Sudan: 9.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySomalia: 66.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Sudan: 63.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSomalia: 3.79% in 2017South Sudan: 3.7% in 2017
- Suicide rateSomalia: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017South Sudan: 12 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSomalia: 18.4 million people in 2023South Sudan: 11.5 million people in 2023
- Population growthSomalia: 3.57% a year in 2023South Sudan: 5.86% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSomalia: 6.13 births per woman in 2023South Sudan: 3.86 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSomalia: 55.1% in 2025South Sudan: 21.7% in 2025
- Median ageSomalia: 15.5 years in 2023South Sudan: 18 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSomalia: 2.6% in 2023South Sudan: 2.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateSomalia: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023South Sudan: 39.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSomalia: 1.54% of GDP in 2025South Sudan: 3.43% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSomalia: $193M in 2025South Sudan: $103M in 2025
- Military spending per personSomalia: $10 in 2025South Sudan: $15 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSomalia: 14,000 people in 2020South Sudan: 53,000 people in 2020
- National powerSomalia: 0.13% of world capability in 2022South Sudan: 0.08% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSomalia: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020South Sudan: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSomalia: 2 million TIV in 2025South Sudan: 10 million TIV in 2022