Kazakhstan vs South Africa: Military spending as a share of government spending
Kazakhstan
2.1%
in 2025
South Africa
2.2%
in 2025
Kazakhstan rank
148th
South Africa rank
146th
Military spending as a share of government spending over time
- Kazakhstan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2.2% against 2.1% in Kazakhstan, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2002 it was South Africa ahead.
Kazakhstan ranks 148th and South Africa ranks 146th of 162 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Kazakhstan averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kazakhstan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.8% | 4.9% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 4.6% | 3.3% | 1.3% | Kazakhstan |
| 2020s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 0.1% | Kazakhstan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of government spending, Kazakhstan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 2.2% against 2.1% in Kazakhstan as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of government spending between Kazakhstan and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kazakhstan and South Africa?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2002 to 2025.
- How do Kazakhstan and South Africa rank globally for military spending as a share of government spending?
- Kazakhstan ranks 148th 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.