Argentina vs South Africa: Military spending per military personnel
Argentina
61,768 constant 2022 US$
in 2022
South Africa
53,689 constant 2022 US$
in 2022
Argentina rank
61st
South Africa rank
64th
Military spending per military personnel over time
- Argentina
- South Africa
How they compare
Argentina currently reports 61,768 constant 2022 US$ against 53,689 constant 2022 US$ in South Africa, a difference of 8,079 constant 2022 US$.
That makes Argentina's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 9 times across 93 shared years of data; in 1923 it was South Africa ahead.
Argentina ranks 61st and South Africa ranks 64th of 170 countries.
Across the 11 decades both report, Argentina averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 7.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Argentina | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 17,578 constant 2022 US$ | 35,414 constant 2022 US$ | 17,835 constant 2022 US$ | South Africa |
| 1930s | 17,559 constant 2022 US$ | 39,027 constant 2022 US$ | 21,468 constant 2022 US$ | South Africa |
| 1940s | 57,893 constant 2022 US$ | 55,667 constant 2022 US$ | 2,226 constant 2022 US$ | Argentina |
| 1950s | 41,603 constant 2022 US$ | 35,224 constant 2022 US$ | 6,379 constant 2022 US$ | Argentina |
| 1960s | 17,415 constant 2022 US$ | 36,898 constant 2022 US$ | 19,483 constant 2022 US$ | South Africa |
| 1970s | 26,057 constant 2022 US$ | 80,411 constant 2022 US$ | 54,354 constant 2022 US$ | South Africa |
| 1980s | 52,824 constant 2022 US$ | 76,339 constant 2022 US$ | 23,516 constant 2022 US$ | South Africa |
| 1990s | 83,947 constant 2022 US$ | 65,145 constant 2022 US$ | 18,801 constant 2022 US$ | Argentina |
| 2000s | 45,716 constant 2022 US$ | 67,876 constant 2022 US$ | 22,160 constant 2022 US$ | South Africa |
| 2010s | 72,526 constant 2022 US$ | 74,309 constant 2022 US$ | 1,783 constant 2022 US$ | South Africa |
| 2020s | 60,537 constant 2022 US$ | 55,871 constant 2022 US$ | 4,666 constant 2022 US$ | Argentina |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending per military personnel, Argentina or South Africa?
- Argentina, at 61,768 constant 2022 US$ against 53,689 constant 2022 US$ in South Africa as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military spending per military personnel between Argentina and South Africa?
- 8,079 constant 2022 US$, with Argentina ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Argentina and South Africa?
- 93 years are reported by both, from 1923 to 2022.
- How do Argentina and South Africa rank globally for military spending per military personnel?
- Argentina ranks 61st and South Africa ranks 64th of 170 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Barnum et al. - Global Military Spending Dataset (2025); Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending per military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
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.