South Africa

Arms imports in South Africa

Arms imports in South Africa: 13 million TIV in 1960 and 30 million TIV in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.

Latest, 2025
30 million TIV
Since 1960
+17 million TIV
World, 2025
33.3 billion TIV
Watch it change on the map

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

Arms imports in South AfricaArms imports in South Africa: 13 million TIV in 1960 and 30 million TIV in 2025, by SIPRI estimates. The highest was 910 million TIV in 2007, the lowest 1 million TIV in 2013.
Estimates, SIPRIWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 910 million TIV in 2007, the lowest 1 million TIV in 2013.

Every year

SIPRI trend-indicator values · SIPRI

YearSouth AfricaWorld
202530 million33.3 billion
2024–30.6 billion
202330 million29.5 billion
202230 million33 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 million28.7 billion
201450 million27 billion
20131 million27.4 billion
2012127 million27.9 billion
2011208 million29.9 billion
2010178 million25.8 billion
2009134 million24 billion
2008493 million24.1 billion
2007910 million26.5 billion
2006741 million24.4 billion
2005262 million21.3 billion
2004–21.3 billion
2003–19.2 billion
2002–17.7 billion
200118 million18.3 billion
20006 million20.5 billion
199921 million25.3 billion
1998–27.9 billion
199711 million28.9 billion
199638 million23.7 billion
199538 million22.9 billion
1994239 million22.8 billion
1993238 million25.8 billion
1992361 million24.3 billion
199126 million27.8 billion
199010 million28.6 billion
198911 million31.7 billion
198817 million32.9 billion
198720 million36.2 billion
1986191 million35.5 billion
198525 million33.2 billion
1984100 million36.8 billion
1983192 million39.1 billion
198244 million41.4 billion
1981122 million42 billion
1980192 million37.4 billion
1979125 million33.3 billion
1978389 million39.2 billion
1977500 million37 billion
1976419 million33 billion
1975235 million34.2 billion
1974177 million32.9 billion
1973369 million32.6 billion
1972291 million28.7 billion
1971309 million29.3 billion
1970511 million22.1 billion
1969211 million24.7 billion
1968217 million22.4 billion
1967299 million22.1 billion
1966496 million22.4 billion
1965386 million23.1 billion
1964302 million24.2 billion
1963520 million18.1 billion
1962232 million15.5 billion
1961–15 billion
196013 million15.7 billion

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.

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