South Africa vs United States
South Africa vs United States: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $49 in South Africa and $2,755 in United States, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in United States, by $2,706, or 56 times that in South Africa.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1988.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 100 and United States ranked 4 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | South Africa | United States |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49 | $2,755 |
| 2024 | $48 | $2,917 |
| 2023 | $49 | $2,675 |
| 2022 | $56 | $2,527 |
| 2021 | $58 | $2,373 |
| 2020 | $54 | $2,295 |
| 2019 | $58 | $2,183 |
| 2018 | $62 | $2,045 |
| 2017 | $63 | $1,956 |
| 2016 | $55 | $1,953 |
| 2015 | $62 | $1,952 |
| 2014 | $71 | $2,014 |
| 2013 | $76 | $2,132 |
| 2012 | $84 | $2,298 |
| 2011 | $87 | $2,407 |
| 2010 | $81 | $2,384 |
| 2009 | $70 | $2,303 |
| 2008 | $65 | $2,165 |
| 2007 | $70 | $1,964 |
| 2006 | $70 | $1,879 |
| 2005 | $72 | $1,812 |
| 2004 | $64 | $1,692 |
| 2003 | $53 | $1,527 |
| 2002 | $37 | $1,325 |
| 2001 | $38 | $1,173 |
| 2000 | $40 | $1,143 |
| 1999 | $37 | $1,074 |
| 1998 | $41 | $1,059 |
| 1997 | $53 | $1,077 |
| 1996 | $58 | $1,068 |
| 1995 | $74 | $1,109 |
| 1994 | $79 | $1,167 |
| 1993 | $76 | $1,213 |
| 1992 | $87 | $1,260 |
| 1991 | $94 | $1,174 |
| 1990 | $109 | $1,291 |
| 1989 | $107 | $1,290 |
| 1988 | $113 | $1,252 |
- Estimate
Each country on its own
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence for each person living there, in US dollars of each year, not adjusted for inflation.
- 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 in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025United States: $929B 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