South Africa vs Vietnam
South Africa vs Vietnam: Military spending per person
Military spending per person in 2025: $49 in South Africa and $104 in Vietnam, by SIPRI estimates. In 2025 the value was higher in Vietnam, by $54, or 2.1 times that in South Africa.
US dollars per person · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher since 2015, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2025, South Africa ranked 100 and Vietnam ranked 76 of 151 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
US dollars per person · SIPRI
| Year | South Africa | Vietnam |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $49 | $104 |
| 2024 | $48 | $85 |
| 2023 | $49 | $80 |
| 2022 | $56 | $71 |
| 2021 | $58 | $76 |
| 2020 | $54 | $73 |
| 2019 | $58 | $75 |
| 2018 | $62 | $72 |
| 2017 | $63 | $68 |
| 2016 | $55 | $68 |
| 2015 | $62 | $66 |
| 2014 | $71 | $62 |
| 2013 | $76 | $61 |
| 2012 | $84 | $53 |
| 2011 | $87 | $34 |
| 2010 | $81 | $31 |
| 2009 | $70 | $34 |
| 2008 | $65 | $24 |
| 2007 | $70 | $22 |
| 2006 | $70 | $16 |
| 2005 | $72 | $13 |
| 2004 | $64 | $11 |
| 2003 | $53 | $11 |
| 2002 | $37 | – |
| 2001 | $38 | – |
| 2000 | $40 | – |
| 1999 | $37 | – |
| 1998 | $41 | – |
| 1997 | $53 | – |
| 1996 | $58 | – |
| 1995 | $74 | – |
| 1994 | $79 | $6 |
| 1993 | $76 | $4 |
| 1992 | $87 | $5 |
| 1991 | $94 | $6 |
| 1990 | $109 | $8 |
| 1989 | $107 | $7 |
| 1988 | $113 | $21 |
- 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 Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Vietnam: 522,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018