South Africa vs United States
South Africa vs United States: Military share of state spending
Military share of state spending in 2025: 2.2% of government spending in South Africa and 8.3% of government spending in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by 6.1 percentage points, or 3.76 times that in South Africa.
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2001.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 135 and United States ranked 34 of 150 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | South Africa | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.2 | 8.3 |
| 2024 | 2.3 | 9 |
| 2023 | 2.5 | 8.7 |
| 2022 | 2.7 | 9 |
| 2021 | 2.6 | 7.9 |
| 2020 | 2.8 | 8.2 |
| 2019 | 2.8 | 9.5 |
| 2018 | 3 | 9.3 |
| 2017 | 3.2 | 9.4 |
| 2016 | 3.2 | 9.6 |
| 2015 | 3.3 | 9.9 |
| 2014 | 3.5 | 10.4 |
| 2013 | 3.6 | 11.2 |
| 2012 | 3.6 | 12 |
| 2011 | 3.6 | 12.4 |
| 2010 | 3.5 | 12.3 |
| 2009 | 3.8 | 11.8 |
| 2008 | 4 | 12 |
| 2007 | 4.3 | 11.8 |
| 2006 | 4.7 | 12 |
| 2005 | 4.9 | 12.1 |
| 2004 | 5.3 | 12 |
| 2003 | 5.8 | 11.3 |
| 2002 | 6.2 | 10.3 |
| 2001 | 5.9 | 9.6 |
| 2000 | 5.5 | – |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 150 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 States
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSouth Africa: $5,713 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthSouth Africa: 1.1% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationSouth Africa: 3.2% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtSouth Africa: 76% of GDP in 2024United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025