South Africa Military Spending
Military expenditure as % of GDP MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS
Overview
South Africa's military spending stood at 0.63% in 2025, a decline of +0.07% from 2024. Based on recent trends, this figure is projected to reach 0.63% by 2025. South Africa ranked 134th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Military Spending | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2027* trend | 0.52% | - | - |
| 2026* trend | 0.58% | - | - |
| 2025* trend | 0.63% | - | - |
| 2025 | 0.63% | −0.07% | #134 |
| 2024 | 0.70% | −0.05% | #18 |
| 2023 | 0.75% | −0.04% | #21 |
| 2022 | 0.80% | −0.01% | #29 |
| 2021 | 0.81% | −0.15% | #24 |
| 2020 | 0.96% | +0.07% | #31 |
| 2019 | 0.88% | −0.01% | #32 |
| 2018 | 0.89% | −0.05% | #32 |
| 2017 | 0.94% | −0.03% | #35 |
| 2016 | 0.97% | −0.04% | #38 |
| 2015 | 1.01% | −0.01% | #42 |
| 2014 | 1.02% | −0.01% | #47 |
| 2013 | 1.03% | −0.01% | #46 |
| 2012 | 1.03% | +0.03% | #40 |
| 2011 | 1.00% | −0.00% | #38 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
South Africa matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 1994. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw military spending improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
The provided headline details a human rights issue in Iran and mentions Iran's foreign minister, along with a brief reference to the US president and a "war." This information does not contain any direct or indirect references to South Africa, its foreign policy, regional security concerns, or its defense budget. Therefore, there is no discernible relationship between this specific news development and South Africa's military spending, which stands at 0.63%.
Frequently Asked Questions
South Africa's military spending was 0.63% in 2025. Ranked 134th globally. This represents a 9.5% decrease from the previous year.
South Africa's military spending peaked at 5.26% in 1977.
The lowest military spending in South Africa was 0.63% in 2025.
South Africa ranks 134th globally in military spending as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is MS.MIL.XPND.GD.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
South Africa's military spending is projected to reach 0.63% by 2025 based on trend extrapolation.
The military spending of South Africa in 2025 was 0.63%. This ranks 134th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_south-africa_military-spending,
title = {South Africa Military Spending},
url = {https://historysaid.com/south-africa/military-spending},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}