Burkina Faso vs South Africa: Military spending per armed forces personnel
Burkina Faso
41,029 constant 2024 US$
in 2020
South Africa
40,436 constant 2024 US$
in 2020
Burkina Faso rank
58th
South Africa rank
60th
Military spending per armed forces personnel over time
- Burkina Faso
- South Africa
How they compare
Burkina Faso currently reports 41,029 constant 2024 US$ against 40,436 constant 2024 US$ in South Africa, a difference of 593 constant 2024 US$.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Africa ahead.
Burkina Faso ranks 58th and South Africa ranks 60th of 160 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Burkina Faso averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Burkina Faso | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12,962 constant 2024 US$ | 47,015 constant 2024 US$ | 34,052 constant 2024 US$ | South Africa |
| 1990s | 7,791 constant 2024 US$ | 31,181 constant 2024 US$ | 23,391 constant 2024 US$ | South Africa |
| 2000s | 8,481 constant 2024 US$ | 49,679 constant 2024 US$ | 41,198 constant 2024 US$ | South Africa |
| 2010s | 19,372 constant 2024 US$ | 45,774 constant 2024 US$ | 26,402 constant 2024 US$ | South Africa |
| 2020s | 41,029 constant 2024 US$ | 40,436 constant 2024 US$ | 593.3 constant 2024 US$ | Burkina Faso |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending per armed forces personnel, Burkina Faso or South Africa?
- Burkina Faso, at 41,029 constant 2024 US$ against 40,436 constant 2024 US$ in South Africa as of 2020.
- What is the difference in military spending per armed forces personnel between Burkina Faso and South Africa?
- 593 constant 2024 US$, with Burkina Faso ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Burkina Faso and South Africa?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Burkina Faso and South Africa rank globally for military spending per armed forces personnel?
- Burkina Faso ranks 58th and South Africa ranks 60th of 160 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026); The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending per armed forces personnel. 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 armed forces personnel. This data is expressed in US dollars. It is adjusted for inflation but does not account for differences in the cost of living between countries.