South Africa vs United States
South Africa vs United States: Military spending in US dollars
Military spending in US dollars in 2025: $3B in South Africa and $929B in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $926B, or 310 times that in South Africa.
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1951.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 53 and United States ranked 1 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars at 2024 prices · SIPRI
| Year | South Africa | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $3B | $929B |
| 2024 | $3.03B | $1.01T |
| 2023 | $3.21B | $943B |
| 2022 | $3.42B | $923B |
| 2021 | $3.39B | $933B |
| 2020 | $3.6B | $943B |
| 2019 | $3.47B | $901B |
| 2018 | $3.49B | $853B |
| 2017 | $3.64B | $828B |
| 2016 | $3.69B | $836B |
| 2015 | $3.79B | $839B |
| 2014 | $3.76B | $858B |
| 2013 | $3.76B | $915B |
| 2012 | $3.68B | $991B |
| 2011 | $3.53B | $1.05T |
| 2010 | $3.4B | $1.06T |
| 2009 | $3.52B | $1.03T |
| 2008 | $3.36B | $957B |
| 2007 | $3.38B | $892B |
| 2006 | $3.43B | $869B |
| 2005 | $3.39B | $857B |
| 2004 | $3.05B | $819B |
| 2003 | $2.95B | $751B |
| 2002 | $2.98B | $660B |
| 2001 | $2.72B | $588B |
| 2000 | $2.43B | $583B |
| 1999 | $2.07B | $561B |
| 1998 | $2.16B | $560B |
| 1997 | $2.44B | $573B |
| 1996 | $2.65B | $576B |
| 1995 | $3.05B | $609B |
| 1994 | $3.43B | $652B |
| 1993 | $3.22B | $688B |
| 1992 | $3.48B | $727B |
| 1991 | $4.04B | $690B |
| 1990 | $4.92B | $781B |
| 1989 | $5.46B | $815B |
| 1988 | $5.54B | $821B |
| 1987 | $4.72B | $839B |
| 1986 | $4.27B | $846B |
| 1985 | $4.19B | $793B |
| 1984 | $4.22B | $740B |
| 1983 | $3.92B | $704B |
| 1982 | $3.86B | $721B |
| 1981 | $3.92B | $609B |
| 1980 | $3.54B | $547B |
| 1979 | $3.54B | $548B |
| 1978 | $3.96B | $545B |
| 1977 | $4.41B | $542B |
| 1976 | $3.97B | $522B |
| 1975 | $3.2B | $537B |
| 1974 | $2.55B | $568B |
| 1973 | $1.98B | $575B |
| 1972 | $1.57B | $605B |
| 1971 | $1.54B | $606B |
| 1970 | $1.4B | $674B |
| 1969 | $1.48B | $727B |
| 1968 | $1.44B | $761B |
| 1967 | $1.37B | $737B |
| 1966 | $1.23B | $642B |
| 1965 | $1.14B | $543B |
| 1964 | $1.11B | $540B |
| 1963 | $791M | $559B |
| 1962 | $790M | $567B |
| 1961 | $489M | $523B |
| 1960 | $307M | $502B |
| 1959 | $269M | $515B |
| 1958 | $286M | $511B |
| 1957 | $381M | $514B |
| 1956 | $264M | $500B |
| 1955 | $235M | $493B |
| 1954 | $227M | $521B |
| 1953 | $242M | $604B |
| 1952 | $284M | $587B |
| 1951 | $268M | $416B |
| 1950 | – | $195B |
| 1949 | – | $181B |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, in constant 2024 US dollars so that years compare, 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 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 per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending 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