South Africa vs United States: Arms exports

Arms exports in 2025: 115 million TIV in South Africa and 14 billion TIV in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 13.9 billion TIV, or 120 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

South AfricaUnited StatesWorld

What the numbers say

United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1960.
The world as a whole: 33.5 billion TIV in 2025.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

Year	South Africa	United States	World
2025	115 million	14 billion	33.5 billion
2024	96 million	13.7 billion	30.7 billion
2023	105 million	10.9 billion	29.5 billion
2022	113 million	14.5 billion	33.3 billion
2021	143 million	11.6 billion	27.1 billion
2020	150 million	9.73 billion	24.1 billion
2019	129 million	10.5 billion	27 billion
2018	118 million	9.26 billion	27.4 billion
2017	100 million	11.4 billion	31.3 billion
2016	118 million	9.89 billion	31.5 billion
2015	76 million	10.3 billion	28.7 billion
2014	89 million	9.46 billion	27.1 billion
2013	109 million	7.77 billion	27.4 billion
2012	193 million	8.97 billion	27.9 billion
2011	76 million	9.04 billion	29.9 billion
2010	250 million	8.35 billion	25.8 billion
2009	108 million	7.15 billion	24.4 billion
2008	142 million	7.09 billion	24.1 billion
2007	137 million	7.87 billion	26.5 billion
2006	200 million	7.5 billion	24.5 billion
2005	36 million	6.72 billion	21.4 billion
2004	74 million	6.87 billion	21.3 billion
2003	47 million	5.68 billion	19.2 billion
2002	22 million	4.87 billion	17.7 billion
2001	32 million	5.59 billion	18.5 billion
2000	21 million	7.68 billion	20.5 billion
1999	24 million	11.6 billion	25.4 billion
1998	14 million	15.8 billion	27.9 billion
1997	7 million	14.5 billion	28.9 billion
1996	31 million	10.8 billion	23.7 billion
1995	17 million	11.2 billion	22.9 billion
1994	13 million	11.5 billion	23 billion
1993	54 million	13.8 billion	25.8 billion
1992	85 million	14.1 billion	24.3 billion
1991	54 million	12.6 billion	28.2 billion
1990	–	10.7 billion	30.2 billion
1989	0	11.4 billion	34.9 billion
1988	25 million	12 billion	36.8 billion
1987	28 million	12.2 billion	39.4 billion
1986	25 million	11.6 billion	39 billion
1985	25 million	10.8 billion	38.2 billion
1984	–	11.9 billion	41.6 billion
1983	–	13.8 billion	43.9 billion
1982	1 million	14 billion	46.2 billion
1981	49 million	13.7 billion	45.8 billion
1980	49 million	10.7 billion	42.2 billion
1979	–	9.79 billion	38.4 billion
1978	–	13.5 billion	42.4 billion
1977	0	14.3 billion	40 billion
1976	20 million	15.7 billion	36 billion
1975	29 million	15.3 billion	37.2 billion
1974	2 million	12.7 billion	36.6 billion
1973	1 million	12 billion	36.3 billion
1972	22 million	10.7 billion	34.5 billion
1971	7 million	11.6 billion	32.9 billion
1970	2 million	8.35 billion	25.3 billion
1969	13 million	11.6 billion	28.1 billion
1968	9 million	8.62 billion	26.1 billion
1967	8 million	7.44 billion	25.6 billion
1966	–	8.94 billion	25.8 billion
1965	–	12 billion	25.8 billion
1964	–	12.5 billion	26.7 billion
1963	–	9.43 billion	20.3 billion
1962	–	6.13 billion	17.5 billion
1961	33 million	6.29 billion	16.4 billion
1960	27 million	6.13 billion	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 States

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSouth Africa: 0 deaths in 2022United States: 1 deaths in 2022