South Africa vs South Korea: Arms exports

Arms exports in 2025: 115 million TIV in South Africa and 2.02 billion TIV in South Korea, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Korea, by 1.91 billion TIV, or 18 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

South AfricaSouth KoreaWorld

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 2011, when it overtook South Africa.
The world as a whole: 33.5 billion TIV in 2025.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

Year	South Africa	South Korea	World
2025	115 million	2.02 billion	33.5 billion
2024	96 million	1.1 billion	30.7 billion
2023	105 million	675 million	29.5 billion
2022	113 million	231 million	33.3 billion
2021	143 million	536 million	27.1 billion
2020	150 million	829 million	24.1 billion
2019	129 million	675 million	27 billion
2018	118 million	1.05 billion	27.4 billion
2017	100 million	700 million	31.3 billion
2016	118 million	435 million	31.5 billion
2015	76 million	92 million	28.7 billion
2014	89 million	218 million	27.1 billion
2013	109 million	350 million	27.4 billion
2012	193 million	203 million	27.9 billion
2011	76 million	328 million	29.9 billion
2010	250 million	177 million	25.8 billion
2009	108 million	224 million	24.4 billion
2008	142 million	110 million	24.1 billion
2007	137 million	278 million	26.5 billion
2006	200 million	158 million	24.5 billion
2005	36 million	109 million	21.4 billion
2004	74 million	74 million	21.3 billion
2003	47 million	96 million	19.2 billion
2002	22 million	–	17.7 billion
2001	32 million	230 million	18.5 billion
2000	21 million	36 million	20.5 billion
1999	24 million	–	25.4 billion
1998	14 million	32 million	27.9 billion
1997	7 million	25 million	28.9 billion
1996	31 million	24 million	23.7 billion
1995	17 million	30 million	22.9 billion
1994	13 million	7 million	23 billion
1993	54 million	62 million	25.8 billion
1992	85 million	–	24.3 billion
1991	54 million	118 million	28.2 billion
1990	–	72 million	30.2 billion
1989	0	48 million	34.9 billion
1988	25 million	54 million	36.8 billion
1987	28 million	–	39.4 billion
1986	25 million	73 million	39 billion
1985	25 million	28 million	38.2 billion
1984	–	126 million	41.6 billion
1983	–	–	43.9 billion
1982	1 million	65 million	46.2 billion
1981	49 million	130 million	45.8 billion
1980	49 million	105 million	42.2 billion
1979	–	105 million	38.4 billion
1978	–	–	42.4 billion
1977	0	–	40 billion
1976	20 million	–	36 billion
1975	29 million	–	37.2 billion
1974	2 million	–	36.6 billion
1973	1 million	–	36.3 billion
1972	22 million	141 million	34.5 billion
1971	7 million	–	32.9 billion
1970	2 million	–	25.3 billion
1969	13 million	–	28.1 billion
1968	9 million	–	26.1 billion
1967	8 million	–	25.6 billion
1966	–	–	25.8 billion
1965	–	–	25.8 billion
1964	–	–	26.7 billion
1963	–	–	20.3 billion
1962	–	–	17.5 billion
1961	33 million	–	16.4 billion
1960	27 million	–	17.6 billion

Each country on its own

Good to know

Major weapons the country sent abroad, 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.
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

South Africa vs South Korea: Arms exports

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

South Africa vs South Korea

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment