Malaysia vs South Africa: Military spending sipri
Malaysia
4.55 billion
in 2025
South Africa
3.00 billion
in 2025
Malaysia rank
54th
South Africa rank
57th
Military spending sipri over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 4.55 billion against 3.00 billion in South Africa, a difference of 1.55 billion.
That makes Malaysia's figure about 1.5 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 69 shared years of data; in 1957 it was South Africa ahead.
Malaysia ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 57th of 162 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 250.11 million | 312.14 million | 62.03 million | South Africa |
| 1960s | 392.57 million | 1.01 billion | 620.44 million | South Africa |
| 1970s | 961.17 million | 2.81 billion | 1.85 billion | South Africa |
| 1980s | 1.65 billion | 4.36 billion | 2.71 billion | South Africa |
| 1990s | 2.18 billion | 3.15 billion | 962.50 million | South Africa |
| 2000s | 3.56 billion | 3.12 billion | 441.26 million | Malaysia |
| 2010s | 3.91 billion | 3.62 billion | 286.13 million | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 3.93 billion | 3.28 billion | 658.70 million | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending sipri, Malaysia or South Africa?
- Malaysia, at 4.55 billion against 3.00 billion in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending sipri between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 1.55 billion, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 69 years are reported by both, from 1957 to 2025.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for military spending sipri?
- Malaysia ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 57th of 162 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Military spending sipri. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.