South Africa vs Switzerland: Military spending as a share of government spending
South Africa
2.2%
in 2025
Switzerland
2.4%
in 2025
South Africa rank
146th
Switzerland rank
143rd
Military spending as a share of government spending over time
- South Africa
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 2.4% against 2.2% in South Africa, a difference of 0.2%.
That makes Switzerland's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 26 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 146th and Switzerland ranks 143rd of 162 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.0% | 2.6% | 2.4% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 3.3% | 2.1% | 1.2% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 0.3% | 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, South Africa or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 2.4% against 2.2% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of government spending between South Africa and Switzerland?
- 0.2%, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Switzerland?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Switzerland rank globally for military spending as a share of government spending?
- South Africa ranks 146th and Switzerland ranks 143rd 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.