Military spending per armed forces personnel in South Africa

South Africa: Military spending per armed forces personnel was 40,436 in 2020. β–² Rising

Latest (2020)
40,436
Change on year
up 5.0%
World rank
60th
of 160 countries
All-time high
60,441
in 2005
All-time low
9,539
in 1996
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Military spending per armed forces personnel in South Africa, 1985–2020

020.0k40.0k60.0k1985200220201985: 39.4k1989: 54.6k1990: 57.9k1991: 50.5k1992: 46.4k1993: 42.9k1994: 45.7k1995: 11.0k1996: 9.5k1997: 11.2k1998: 10.2k1999: 26.5k2000: 33.9k2001: 40.5k2002: 49.6k2003: 52.9k2004: 55.4k2005: 60.4k2006: 33.3k2007: 54.5k2008: 54.2k2009: 45.6k2010: 44.1k2011: 45.4k2012: 59.3k2013: 48.7k2014: 45.7k2015: 46.2k2016: 45.4k2017: 45.5k2018: 38.9k2019: 38.5k2020: 40.4k

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 40,436 for military spending per armed forces personnel in 2020.

The figure is up 5.0% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military spending per armed forces personnel in South Africa peaked at 60,441 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 9,539, in 1996.

South Africa ranks 60th of 160 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 47,015 39,399 54,631 2
1990s 31,181 9,539 57,884 10
2000s 48,042 33,314 60,441 10
2010s 45,774 38,510 59,326 10
2020s 40,436 40,436 40,436 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 57 Cyprus 41,305 compare
  2. 58 Burkina Faso 41,029 compare
  3. 59 Argentina 40,524 compare
  4. 61 Gabon 39,462 compare
  5. 62 Trinidad and Tobago 38,762 compare
  6. 63 Bulgaria 38,339 compare

See the full ranking of 160 places β†’

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is military spending per armed forces personnel in South Africa?
Military spending per armed forces personnel in South Africa was 40,436 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 60,441 in 2005.
What is the lowest military spending per armed forces personnel recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 9,539 in 1996.
How does South Africa rank for military spending per armed forces personnel?
South Africa ranks 60th out of 160 countries with data for 2020.
Is military spending per armed forces personnel rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Military spending per armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Military spending per armed forces personnel in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-spending-per-armed-forces-personnel/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Military spending per armed forces personnel
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
160 places, 4,610 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed