South Africa vs United Kingdom
South Africa vs United Kingdom: Military spending
Military spending in 2025: 0.74% of GDP in South Africa and 2.35% of GDP in United Kingdom, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 1.62 percentage points, or 3.19 times that in South Africa.
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United Kingdom has been higher since 1990, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 128 and United Kingdom ranked 41 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | South Africa | United Kingdom |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.74 | 2.35 |
| 2024 | 0.76 | 2.44 |
| 2023 | 0.8 | 2.15 |
| 2022 | 0.85 | 2.01 |
| 2021 | 0.84 | 2.04 |
| 2020 | 0.96 | 2.14 |
| 2019 | 0.88 | 1.97 |
| 2018 | 0.89 | 1.93 |
| 2017 | 0.94 | 1.94 |
| 2016 | 0.97 | 1.97 |
| 2015 | 1.01 | 2.04 |
| 2014 | 1.02 | 2.17 |
| 2013 | 1.03 | 2.28 |
| 2012 | 1.03 | 2.41 |
| 2011 | 1 | 2.49 |
| 2010 | 1 | 2.56 |
| 2009 | 1.09 | 2.64 |
| 2008 | 1.04 | 2.48 |
| 2007 | 1.06 | 2.37 |
| 2006 | 1.15 | 2.36 |
| 2005 | 1.24 | 2.42 |
| 2004 | 1.36 | 2.48 |
| 2003 | 1.47 | 2.54 |
| 2002 | 1.53 | 2.47 |
| 2001 | 1.48 | 2.39 |
| 2000 | 1.39 | 2.35 |
| 1999 | 1.27 | 2.41 |
| 1998 | 1.38 | 2.48 |
| 1997 | 1.58 | 2.54 |
| 1996 | 1.76 | 2.71 |
| 1995 | 2.12 | 2.84 |
| 1994 | 2.56 | 3.38 |
| 1993 | 2.5 | 3.59 |
| 1992 | 2.82 | 3.87 |
| 1991 | 3.22 | 4.12 |
| 1990 | 3.9 | 3.98 |
| 1989 | 4.36 | 4.04 |
| 1988 | 4.62 | 4.21 |
| 1987 | 4.19 | 4.69 |
| 1986 | 3.82 | 5.06 |
| 1985 | 3.7 | 5.32 |
| 1984 | 3.7 | 5.51 |
| 1983 | 3.61 | 5.4 |
| 1982 | 3.61 | 5.38 |
| 1981 | 3.64 | 4.98 |
| 1980 | 3.31 | 5.02 |
| 1979 | 3.86 | 4.68 |
| 1978 | 4.56 | 4.73 |
| 1977 | 5.26 | 4.92 |
| 1976 | 4.73 | 5.18 |
| 1975 | 3.88 | 5.34 |
| 1974 | 3.09 | 5.07 |
| 1973 | 2.65 | 4.91 |
| 1972 | 2.37 | 5.17 |
| 1971 | 2.46 | 5.08 |
| 1970 | 2.33 | 5.2 |
| 1969 | 2.61 | 5.5 |
| 1968 | 2.76 | 5.94 |
| 1967 | 2.79 | 6.24 |
| 1966 | 2.71 | 6.25 |
| 1965 | 2.63 | 6.44 |
| 1964 | 2.7 | 6.6 |
| 1963 | 2.07 | 6.8 |
| 1962 | 2.26 | 6.94 |
| 1961 | 1.47 | 6.92 |
| 1960 | 0.95 | 7.09 |
| 1959 | 0.88 | 7.29 |
| 1958 | 0.98 | 7.63 |
| 1957 | 1.3 | 7.99 |
| 1956 | 1.29 | 8.56 |
| 1955 | 1.22 | 9.09 |
| 1954 | 1.2 | 10.06 |
| 1953 | 1.35 | 10.96 |
| 1952 | 1.74 | 10.37 |
| 1951 | 1.62 | 8.3 |
| 1950 | – | 7.21 |
- 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 United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSouth Africa: $5,713 in 2025United Kingdom: $48,420 in 2025
- GDP growthSouth Africa: 1.1% a year in 2025United Kingdom: 1.2% a year in 2025
- InflationSouth Africa: 3.2% a year in 2025United Kingdom: 3.4% a year in 2025
- Government debtSouth Africa: 76% of GDP in 2024United Kingdom: 102.1% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020United Kingdom: 153,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025