South Africa vs Switzerland: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 0.74% of GDP in South Africa and 0.76% of GDP in Switzerland, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Switzerland, by 0.02 percentage points, or 1.03 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

South AfricaSwitzerlandSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

Switzerland has been higher since 2025, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2025, South Africa ranked 128 and Switzerland ranked 127 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

Year	South Africa	Switzerland
2025	0.74	0.76
2024	0.76	0.7
2023	0.8	0.71
2022	0.85	0.68
2021	0.84	0.67
2020	0.96	0.77
2019	0.88	0.7
2018	0.89	0.65
2017	0.94	0.67
2016	0.97	0.66
2015	1.01	0.65
2014	1.02	0.63
2013	1.03	0.71
2012	1.03	0.67
2011	1	0.69
2010	1	0.69
2009	1.09	0.73
2008	1.04	0.72
2007	1.06	0.72
2006	1.15	0.75
2005	1.24	0.83
2004	1.36	0.89
2003	1.47	0.93
2002	1.53	0.96
2001	1.48	0.99
2000	1.39	1.03
1999	1.27	1.09
1998	1.38	1.19
1997	1.58	1.22
1996	1.76	1.28
1995	2.12	1.36
1994	2.56	1.33
1993	2.5	1.37
1992	2.82	1.52
1991	3.22	1.54
1990	3.9	1.57
1989	4.36	1.52
1988	4.62	1.57
1987	4.19	1.56
1986	3.82	1.66
1985	3.7	1.83
1984	3.7	1.7
1983	3.61	1.75
1982	3.61	1.73
1981	3.64	1.66
1980	3.31	1.68
1979	3.86	2.04
1978	4.56	1.97
1977	5.26	2.02
1976	4.73	2.16
1975	3.88	1.9
1974	3.09	1.88
1973	2.65	1.86
1972	2.37	1.97
1971	2.46	2.05
1970	2.33	2.1
1969	2.61	2.2
1968	2.76	2.18
1967	2.79	2.38
1966	2.71	2.53
1965	2.63	2.47
1964	2.7	2.54
1963	2.07	2.52
1962	2.26	2.57
1961	1.47	2.47
1960	0.95	2.34
1959	0.88	2.71
1958	0.98	2.99
1957	1.3	2.83
1956	1.29	–
1955	1.22	–
1954	1.2	–
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

South Africa vs Switzerland: Military spending

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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