South Africa vs United Arab Emirates: Military spending
Military spending: 0.74% of GDP in South Africa in 2025 and 5.64% of GDP in United Arab Emirates in 2014, by SIPRI estimates. In 2014 the value was higher in United Arab Emirates, by 4.62 percentage points, or 5.52 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaUnited Arab Emirates
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 |
| United Arab Emirates | 5.64 2014 | 4.61 | — |
What the numbers say
- United Arab Emirates has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1997.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | South Africa | United Arab Emirates |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.74 | – |
| 2024 | 0.76 | – |
| 2023 | 0.8 | – |
| 2022 | 0.85 | – |
| 2021 | 0.84 | – |
| 2020 | 0.96 | – |
| 2019 | 0.88 | – |
| 2018 | 0.89 | – |
| 2017 | 0.94 | – |
| 2016 | 0.97 | – |
| 2015 | 1.01 | – |
| 2014 | 1.02 | 5.64 |
| 2013 | 1.03 | 6.04 |
| 2012 | 1.03 | 5.08 |
| 2011 | 1 | 5.47 |
| 2010 | 1 | 6.04 |
| 2009 | 1.09 | 5.46 |
| 2008 | 1.04 | 3.67 |
| 2007 | 1.06 | 3.28 |
| 2006 | 1.15 | 3.23 |
| 2005 | 1.24 | 3.66 |
| 2004 | 1.36 | 4.61 |
| 2003 | 1.47 | 4.69 |
| 2002 | 1.53 | 4.88 |
| 2001 | 1.48 | 5.61 |
| 2000 | 1.39 | 8.32 |
| 1999 | 1.27 | 7.67 |
| 1998 | 1.38 | 8.63 |
| 1997 | 1.58 | 6.76 |
| 1996 | 1.76 | – |
| 1995 | 2.12 | – |
| 1994 | 2.56 | – |
| 1993 | 2.5 | – |
| 1992 | 2.82 | – |
| 1991 | 3.22 | – |
| 1990 | 3.9 | – |
| 1989 | 4.36 | – |
| 1988 | 4.62 | – |
| 1987 | 4.19 | – |
| 1986 | 3.82 | – |
| 1985 | 3.7 | – |
| 1984 | 3.7 | – |
| 1983 | 3.61 | – |
| 1982 | 3.61 | – |
| 1981 | 3.64 | – |
| 1980 | 3.31 | – |
| 1979 | 3.86 | – |
| 1978 | 4.56 | – |
| 1977 | 5.26 | – |
| 1976 | 4.73 | – |
| 1975 | 3.88 | – |
| 1974 | 3.09 | – |
| 1973 | 2.65 | – |
| 1972 | 2.37 | – |
| 1971 | 2.46 | – |
| 1970 | 2.33 | – |
| 1969 | 2.61 | – |
| 1968 | 2.76 | – |
| 1967 | 2.79 | – |
| 1966 | 2.71 | – |
| 1965 | 2.63 | – |
| 1964 | 2.7 | – |
| 1963 | 2.07 | – |
| 1962 | 2.26 | – |
| 1961 | 1.47 | – |
| 1960 | 0.95 | – |
| 1959 | 0.88 | – |
| 1958 | 0.98 | – |
| 1957 | 1.3 | – |
| 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