South Africa vs Spain: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.74% of GDP in South Africa and 2.13% of GDP in Spain, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Spain, by 1.39 percentage points, or 2.89 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaSpain
Watch it change on the map% of GDP · SIPRI
Latest figures
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 0.74 2025 | 1.01 | 128 of 151 |
| Spain | 2.13 2025 | 1.26 | 51 of 151 |
What the numbers say
- Spain has been higher since 2004, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 128 and Spain ranked 51 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | South Africa | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.74 | 2.13 |
| 2024 | 0.76 | 1.46 |
| 2023 | 0.8 | 1.54 |
| 2022 | 0.85 | 1.43 |
| 2021 | 0.84 | 1.37 |
| 2020 | 0.96 | 1.36 |
| 2019 | 0.88 | 1.23 |
| 2018 | 0.89 | 1.25 |
| 2017 | 0.94 | 1.22 |
| 2016 | 0.97 | 1.13 |
| 2015 | 1.01 | 1.26 |
| 2014 | 1.02 | 1.25 |
| 2013 | 1.03 | 1.27 |
| 2012 | 1.03 | 1.42 |
| 2011 | 1 | 1.33 |
| 2010 | 1 | 1.38 |
| 2009 | 1.09 | 1.36 |
| 2008 | 1.04 | 1.37 |
| 2007 | 1.06 | 1.36 |
| 2006 | 1.15 | 1.37 |
| 2005 | 1.24 | 1.39 |
| 2004 | 1.36 | 1.43 |
| 2003 | 1.47 | 1.42 |
| 2002 | 1.53 | 1.46 |
| 2001 | 1.48 | 1.63 |
| 2000 | 1.39 | 1.73 |
| 1999 | 1.27 | 1.76 |
| 1998 | 1.38 | 1.76 |
| 1997 | 1.58 | 1.72 |
| 1996 | 1.76 | 1.81 |
| 1995 | 2.12 | 1.92 |
| 1994 | 2.56 | 2 |
| 1993 | 2.5 | 2.01 |
| 1992 | 2.82 | 2.04 |
| 1991 | 3.22 | 2.13 |
| 1990 | 3.9 | 2.29 |
| 1989 | 4.36 | 2.36 |
| 1988 | 4.62 | 2.49 |
| 1987 | 4.19 | 2.62 |
| 1986 | 3.82 | 2.63 |
| 1985 | 3.7 | 2.96 |
| 1984 | 3.7 | 2.97 |
| 1983 | 3.61 | 2.94 |
| 1982 | 3.61 | 2.66 |
| 1981 | 3.64 | 2.58 |
| 1980 | 3.31 | 2.49 |
| 1979 | 3.86 | 2.5 |
| 1978 | 4.56 | 2.36 |
| 1977 | 5.26 | 2.31 |
| 1976 | 4.73 | 2.32 |
| 1975 | 3.88 | 2 |
| 1974 | 3.09 | 2.21 |
| 1973 | 2.65 | 2.11 |
| 1972 | 2.37 | 2.32 |
| 1971 | 2.46 | 2.11 |
| 1970 | 2.33 | 2.29 |
| 1969 | 2.61 | 2.43 |
| 1968 | 2.76 | 2.3 |
| 1967 | 2.79 | 1.85 |
| 1966 | 2.71 | 2.08 |
| 1965 | 2.63 | 1.89 |
| 1964 | 2.7 | 1.93 |
| 1963 | 2.07 | 1.97 |
| 1962 | 2.26 | 2.27 |
| 1961 | 1.47 | 2.03 |
| 1960 | 0.95 | 2.25 |
| 1959 | 0.88 | 1.91 |
| 1958 | 0.98 | 1.93 |
| 1957 | 1.3 | 2.24 |
| 1956 | 1.29 | 2.26 |
| 1955 | 1.22 | 2.31 |
| 1954 | 1.2 | 2.29 |
| 1953 | 1.35 | – |
| 1952 | 1.74 | – |
| 1951 | 1.62 | – |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, by SIPRI’s count.
- 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