South Africa vs Netherlands

South Africa vs Netherlands: Military spending

Military spending in 2025: 0.74% of GDP in South Africa and 2.2% of GDP in Netherlands, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Netherlands, by 1.46 percentage points, or 2.98 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of GDP · SIPRI

South Africa vs Netherlands: Military spendingMilitary spending in 2025: 0.74% of GDP in South Africa and 2.2% of GDP in Netherlands, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Netherlands, by 1.46 percentage points, or 2.98 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaNetherlandsSIPRI estimate

What the numbers say

  • Netherlands has been higher since 2004, when it overtook South Africa.
  • In 2025, South Africa ranked 128 and Netherlands ranked 48 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of GDP · SIPRI

YearSouth AfricaNetherlands
20250.742.2
20240.761.94
20230.81.44
20220.851.3
20210.841.37
20200.961.41
20190.881.29
20180.891.2
20170.941.14
20160.971.14
20151.011.12
20141.021.15
20131.031.16
20121.031.23
201111.28
201011.32
20091.091.39
20081.041.3
20071.061.35
20061.151.39
20051.241.39
20041.361.42
20031.471.44
20021.531.42
20011.481.44
20001.391.43
19991.271.57
19981.381.56
19971.581.64
19961.761.74
19952.121.77
19942.561.91
19932.52.03
19922.822.21
19913.222.25
19903.92.37
19894.362.52
19884.622.61
19874.192.71
19863.822.73
19853.72.77
19843.72.86
19833.612.85
19823.613.14
19813.642.86
19803.312.78
19793.862.84
19784.562.75
19775.262.95
19764.732.69
19753.882.84
19743.092.65
19732.652.7
19722.372.82
19712.462.84
19702.332.87
19692.613.23
19682.763.26
19672.793.52
19662.713.37
19652.633.57
19642.73.93
19632.074.01
19622.264.12
19611.474.09
19600.953.7
19590.884.02
19580.984.72
19571.35.32
19561.295.79
19551.22–
19541.2–
19531.35–
19521.74–
19511.62–
  • 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 Netherlands

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment