Ethiopia vs South Africa: Military spending, per unit of GDP
Ethiopia
0.0062 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 2025
South Africa
0.007 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP
in 2025
Ethiopia rank
138th
South Africa rank
135th
Military spending, per unit of GDP over time
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.007 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP against 0.0062 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP in Ethiopia, a difference of 0.0008 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ethiopia's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 61 shared years of data; in 1965 it was Ethiopia ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 138th and South Africa ranks 135th of 160 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Ethiopia averaged higher in 6 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1064 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0841 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0224 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | Ethiopia |
| 1970s | 0.0761 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0718 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0043 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | Ethiopia |
| 1980s | 0.0825 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0493 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0332 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | Ethiopia |
| 1990s | 0.0745 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0213 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0532 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | Ethiopia |
| 2000s | 0.081 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.014 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.067 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | Ethiopia |
| 2010s | 0.0105 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0093 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0012 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | Ethiopia |
| 2020s | 0.006 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0084 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP | 0.0023 constant 2024 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, Ethiopia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 0.007 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP against 0.0062 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP in Ethiopia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending, per unit of gdp between Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 0.0008 constant 2024 US$ per US$ of GDP, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 61 years are reported by both, from 1965 to 2025.
- How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for military spending, per unit of gdp?
- Ethiopia ranks 138th and South Africa ranks 135th of 160 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.