South Africa
Military spending in South Africa
Military spending in South Africa: 1.62% of GDP in 1951 and 0.74% of GDP in 2025, by SIPRI estimates.
- Latest, 2025
- 0.74% of GDP
- Since 1951
- −0.88 percentage points
- Rank, 2025
- 128 of 151
- counting from the highest
% of GDP · SIPRI
What the numbers say
- The highest was 5.26% of GDP in 1977, the lowest 0.74% of GDP in 2025.
Every year
% of GDP · SIPRI
| Year | South Africa |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 0.74 |
| 2024 | 0.76 |
| 2023 | 0.8 |
| 2022 | 0.85 |
| 2021 | 0.84 |
| 2020 | 0.96 |
| 2019 | 0.88 |
| 2018 | 0.89 |
| 2017 | 0.94 |
| 2016 | 0.97 |
| 2015 | 1.01 |
| 2014 | 1.02 |
| 2013 | 1.03 |
| 2012 | 1.03 |
| 2011 | 1 |
| 2010 | 1 |
| 2009 | 1.09 |
| 2008 | 1.04 |
| 2007 | 1.06 |
| 2006 | 1.15 |
| 2005 | 1.24 |
| 2004 | 1.36 |
| 2003 | 1.47 |
| 2002 | 1.53 |
| 2001 | 1.48 |
| 2000 | 1.39 |
| 1999 | 1.27 |
| 1998 | 1.38 |
| 1997 | 1.58 |
| 1996 | 1.76 |
| 1995 | 2.12 |
| 1994 | 2.56 |
| 1993 | 2.5 |
| 1992 | 2.82 |
| 1991 | 3.22 |
| 1990 | 3.9 |
| 1989 | 4.36 |
| 1988 | 4.62 |
| 1987 | 4.19 |
| 1986 | 3.82 |
| 1985 | 3.7 |
| 1984 | 3.7 |
| 1983 | 3.61 |
| 1982 | 3.61 |
| 1981 | 3.64 |
| 1980 | 3.31 |
| 1979 | 3.86 |
| 1978 | 4.56 |
| 1977 | 5.26 |
| 1976 | 4.73 |
| 1975 | 3.88 |
| 1974 | 3.09 |
| 1973 | 2.65 |
| 1972 | 2.37 |
| 1971 | 2.46 |
| 1970 | 2.33 |
| 1969 | 2.61 |
| 1968 | 2.76 |
| 1967 | 2.79 |
| 1966 | 2.71 |
| 1965 | 2.63 |
| 1964 | 2.7 |
| 1963 | 2.07 |
| 1962 | 2.26 |
| 1961 | 1.47 |
| 1960 | 0.95 |
| 1959 | 0.88 |
| 1958 | 0.98 |
| 1957 | 1.3 |
| 1956 | 1.29 |
| 1955 | 1.22 |
| 1954 | 1.2 |
| 1953 | 1.35 |
| 1952 | 1.74 |
| 1951 | 1.62 |
- Estimate
Good to know
- What the country spends on its armed forces and defence, as a share of its economy, by SIPRI’s count.
- 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 in numbers
Every measure for South Africa on one page
Health
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Military
- Military spending in US dollars$3B in 2025
- Military spending per person$49 in 2025
- Military share of state spending2.2% of government spending 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