Brazil vs South Africa: Military spending as a share of government spending
Brazil
2.2%
in 2025
South Africa
2.2%
in 2025
Brazil rank
145th
South Africa rank
146th
Military spending as a share of government spending over time
- Brazil
- South Africa
How they compare
Brazil currently reports 2.2% against 2.2% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 25 shared years of data; in 2001 it was South Africa ahead.
Brazil ranks 145th and South Africa ranks 146th of 162 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.9% | 5.0% | 1.1% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 3.3% | 0.0% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.5% | 0.1% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of government spending, Brazil or South Africa?
- Brazil, at 2.2% against 2.2% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of government spending between Brazil and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with Brazil ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and South Africa?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2025.
- How do Brazil and South Africa rank globally for military spending as a share of government spending?
- Brazil ranks 145th and South Africa ranks 146th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of government spending. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by government spending.