South Africa vs Zimbabwe

South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Arms imports

Arms imports: 30 million TIV in South Africa in 2025 and 20 million TIV in Zimbabwe in 2023, by SIPRI estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 10 million TIV, or 1.5 times that in Zimbabwe.

Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Arms importsArms imports: 30 million TIV in South Africa in 2025 and 20 million TIV in Zimbabwe in 2023, by SIPRI estimates. In 2023 the value was higher in South Africa, by 10 million TIV, or 1.5 times that in Zimbabwe.
South AfricaZimbabweWorld

What the numbers say

  • South Africa has been higher since 2001, when it overtook Zimbabwe.
  • The world as a whole: 29.5 billion TIV in 2023.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

YearSouth AfricaZimbabweWorld
202530 million–33.3 billion
2024––30.6 billion
202330 million20 million29.5 billion
202230 million–33 billion
2021––26.8 billion
2020––23.4 billion
2019––26.9 billion
2018––27.3 billion
2017––31.2 billion
2016––31.4 billion
20152 million–28.7 billion
201450 million–27 billion
20131 million–27.4 billion
2012127 million–27.9 billion
2011208 million–29.9 billion
2010178 million–25.8 billion
2009134 million–24 billion
2008493 million–24.1 billion
2007910 million–26.5 billion
2006741 million25 million24.4 billion
2005262 million25 million21.3 billion
2004–14 million21.3 billion
2003–16 million19.2 billion
2002––17.7 billion
200118 million10 million18.3 billion
20006 million8 million20.5 billion
199921 million25 million25.3 billion
1998–1 million27.9 billion
199711 million–28.9 billion
199638 million–23.7 billion
199538 million–22.9 billion
1994239 million–22.8 billion
1993238 million025.8 billion
1992361 million63 million24.3 billion
199126 million47 million27.8 billion
199010 million2 million28.6 billion
198911 million–31.7 billion
198817 million2 million32.9 billion
198720 million29 million36.2 billion
1986191 million212 million35.5 billion
198525 million28 million33.2 billion
1984100 million33 million36.8 billion
1983192 million34 million39.1 billion
198244 million81 million41.4 billion
1981122 million15 million42 billion
1980192 million–37.4 billion
1979125 million–33.3 billion
1978389 million16 million39.2 billion
1977500 million4 million37 billion
1976419 million20 million33 billion
1975235 million42 million34.2 billion
1974177 million2 million32.9 billion
1973369 million032.6 billion
1972291 million21 million28.7 billion
1971309 million5 million29.3 billion
1970511 million–22.1 billion
1969211 million–24.7 billion
1968217 million–22.4 billion
1967299 million21 million22.1 billion
1966496 million–22.4 billion
1965386 million–23.1 billion
1964302 million–24.2 billion
1963520 million20 million18.1 billion
1962232 million16 million15.5 billion
1961––15 billion
196013 million15 million15.7 billion

Each country on its own

Good to know

  • Major weapons the country received, 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.
  • Ranks count the 110 countries with a value in 2025, highest first.
  • 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

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