South Africa vs United Kingdom

South Africa vs United Kingdom: Arms imports

Arms imports in 2025: 30 million TIV in South Africa and 609 million TIV in United Kingdom, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 579 million TIV, or 20 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

South Africa vs United Kingdom: Arms importsArms imports in 2025: 30 million TIV in South Africa and 609 million TIV in United Kingdom, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 579 million TIV, or 20 times that in South Africa.
South AfricaUnited KingdomWorld

What the numbers say

  • United Kingdom has been higher since 2008, when it overtook South Africa.
  • The world as a whole: 33.3 billion TIV in 2025.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

YearSouth AfricaUnited KingdomWorld
202530 million609 million33.3 billion
2024–486 million30.6 billion
202330 million469 million29.5 billion
202230 million859 million33 billion
2021–886 million26.8 billion
2020–635 million23.4 billion
2019–402 million26.9 billion
2018–463 million27.3 billion
2017–1 billion31.2 billion
2016–288 million31.4 billion
20152 million424 million28.7 billion
201450 million217 million27 billion
20131 million509 million27.4 billion
2012127 million566 million27.9 billion
2011208 million347 million29.9 billion
2010178 million461 million25.8 billion
2009134 million381 million24 billion
2008493 million575 million24.1 billion
2007910 million817 million26.5 billion
2006741 million375 million24.4 billion
2005262 million31 million21.3 billion
2004–212 million21.3 billion
2003–770 million19.2 billion
2002–721 million17.7 billion
200118 million1.29 billion18.3 billion
20006 million937 million20.5 billion
199921 million132 million25.3 billion
1998–770 million27.9 billion
199711 million513 million28.9 billion
199638 million568 million23.7 billion
199538 million496 million22.9 billion
1994239 million421 million22.8 billion
1993238 million796 million25.8 billion
1992361 million1.15 billion24.3 billion
199126 million953 million27.8 billion
199010 million130 million28.6 billion
198911 million209 million31.7 billion
198817 million285 million32.9 billion
198720 million207 million36.2 billion
1986191 million273 million35.5 billion
198525 million355 million33.2 billion
1984100 million682 million36.8 billion
1983192 million292 million39.1 billion
198244 million766 million41.4 billion
1981122 million812 million42 billion
1980192 million557 million37.4 billion
1979125 million232 million33.3 billion
1978389 million191 million39.2 billion
1977500 million262 million37 billion
1976419 million251 million33 billion
1975235 million337 million34.2 billion
1974177 million319 million32.9 billion
1973369 million239 million32.6 billion
1972291 million222 million28.7 billion
1971309 million176 million29.3 billion
1970511 million70 million22.1 billion
1969211 million2.7 billion24.7 billion
1968217 million2.35 billion22.4 billion
1967299 million1.44 billion22.1 billion
1966496 million242 million22.4 billion
1965386 million166 million23.1 billion
1964302 million133 million24.2 billion
1963520 million159 million18.1 billion
1962232 million38 million15.5 billion
1961–34 million15 billion
196013 million26 million15.7 billion

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • Major weapons the country received, 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.
  • Ranks count the 110 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
  • 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

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