South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Arms exports

Arms exports in 2025: 115 million TIV in South Africa and 33 million TIV in United Arab Emirates, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in South Africa, by 82 million TIV, or 3.48 times that in United Arab Emirates.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

South AfricaUnited Arab EmiratesWorld

What the numbers say

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

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

Year	South Africa	United Arab Emirates	World
2025	115 million	33 million	33.5 billion
2024	96 million	119 million	30.7 billion
2023	105 million	64 million	29.5 billion
2022	113 million	17 million	33.3 billion
2021	143 million	57 million	27.1 billion
2020	150 million	209 million	24.1 billion
2019	129 million	131 million	27 billion
2018	118 million	120 million	27.4 billion
2017	100 million	106 million	31.3 billion
2016	118 million	111 million	31.5 billion
2015	76 million	143 million	28.7 billion
2014	89 million	100 million	27.1 billion
2013	109 million	115 million	27.4 billion
2012	193 million	75 million	27.9 billion
2011	76 million	3 million	29.9 billion
2010	250 million	39 million	25.8 billion
2009	108 million	34 million	24.4 billion
2008	142 million	–	24.1 billion
2007	137 million	3 million	26.5 billion
2006	200 million	17 million	24.5 billion
2005	36 million	15 million	21.4 billion
2004	74 million	3 million	21.3 billion
2003	47 million	–	19.2 billion
2002	22 million	–	17.7 billion
2001	32 million	–	18.5 billion
2000	21 million	–	20.5 billion
1999	24 million	–	25.4 billion
1998	14 million	–	27.9 billion
1997	7 million	37 million	28.9 billion
1996	31 million	6 million	23.7 billion
1995	17 million	28 million	22.9 billion
1994	13 million	–	23 billion
1993	54 million	–	25.8 billion
1992	85 million	–	24.3 billion
1991	54 million	–	28.2 billion
1990	–	2 million	30.2 billion
1989	0	–	34.9 billion
1988	25 million	–	36.8 billion
1987	28 million	2 million	39.4 billion
1986	25 million	22 million	39 billion
1985	25 million	–	38.2 billion
1984	–	–	41.6 billion
1983	–	14 million	43.9 billion
1982	1 million	–	46.2 billion
1981	49 million	–	45.8 billion
1980	49 million	–	42.2 billion
1979	–	–	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	8 million	36.6 billion
1973	1 million	–	36.3 billion
1972	22 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 United Arab Emirates

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Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSouth Africa: 0 deaths in 2022United Arab Emirates: 3 deaths in 2022