Malawi vs South Africa: Military spending, per unit of GDP

Malawi
0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 2023
South Africa
0.0095 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 2023
Malawi rank
131st
South Africa rank
134th

Military spending, per unit of GDP over time

  • Malawi
  • South Africa
00.050.10.15196019912023

How they compare

Malawi currently reports 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP against 0.0095 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in South Africa, a difference of 0.0011 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP.

That makes Malawi's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 44 shared years of data; in 1980 it was South Africa ahead.

Malawi ranks 131st and South Africa ranks 134th of 170 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malawi South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 0.0308 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0753 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0444 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP South Africa
1990s 0.0124 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0336 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0212 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP South Africa
2000s 0.0061 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0176 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0114 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP South Africa
2010s 0.0058 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.012 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0062 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP South Africa
2020s 0.0097 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0105 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP 0.0008 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military spending, per unit of gdp, Malawi or South Africa?
Malawi, at 0.0106 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP against 0.0095 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in military spending, per unit of gdp between Malawi and South Africa?
0.0011 constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP, with Malawi ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malawi and South Africa?
44 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2023.
How do Malawi and South Africa rank globally for military spending, per unit of gdp?
Malawi ranks 131st and South Africa ranks 134th of 170 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Statizoid (derived), published as Military spending, per unit of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Malawi vs South Africa: Military spending, per unit of GDP. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/military-spending-per-unit-of-gdp-2/malawi/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Military spending, per unit of GDP
Unit
constant 2022 US$ per US$ of GDP
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
170 places, 9,064 data points, 1960–2023
Last refreshed

Military spending divided by GDP (current US$), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.