South Africa
Military share of state spending in South Africa
Military share of state spending in South Africa: 5.5% of government spending in 2000 and 2.2% of government spending in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 2.2% of government spending
- Since 2000
- −3.3 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 135 of 150
- counting from the highest
% of government spending · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- The highest was 6.2% of government spending in 2002, the lowest 2.2% of government spending in 2025.
Every year
% of government spending · SIPRI
| Year | South Africa |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 2.2 |
| 2024 | 2.3 |
| 2023 | 2.5 |
| 2022 | 2.7 |
| 2021 | 2.6 |
| 2020 | 2.8 |
| 2019 | 2.8 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2017 | 3.2 |
| 2016 | 3.2 |
| 2015 | 3.3 |
| 2014 | 3.5 |
| 2013 | 3.6 |
| 2012 | 3.6 |
| 2011 | 3.6 |
| 2010 | 3.5 |
| 2009 | 3.8 |
| 2008 | 4 |
| 2007 | 4.3 |
| 2006 | 4.7 |
| 2005 | 4.9 |
| 2004 | 5.3 |
| 2003 | 5.8 |
| 2002 | 6.2 |
| 2001 | 5.9 |
| 2000 | 5.5 |
Good to know
- The part of everything the government spends that goes on its armed forces and defence, by SIPRI’s count.
- Source: Information from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) Military Expenditure Database, https://doi.org/10.55163/CQGC9685.
- Ranks count the 150 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 in numbers
Every measure for South Africa on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
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Military
- Military spending0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$3B in 2025
- Military spending per person$49 in 2025
- Armed forces personnel89,000 people in 2020
- National power0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports115 million TIV in 2025