Military spending, per square kilometre in South Africa
South Africa: Military spending, per square kilometre was 2,650 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
2,650 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre
Change on year
down 6.0%
World rank
106th
of 161 countries
All-time high
4,566 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre
in 1988
All-time low
402.67 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre
in 1961
Years of data
63
1961–2023
Military spending, per square kilometre in South Africa, 1961–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military spending, per square kilometre in South Africa is 2,650 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 6.0% on the previous year and down 14.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military spending, per square kilometre in South Africa peaked at 4,566 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre in 1988 and was at its lowest, 402.67 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre, in 1961.
South Africa ranks 106th of 161 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Military spending, per square kilometre in South Africa, year by year
| Year | constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 402.67 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | — |
| 1962 | 651.03 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +61.7% |
| 1963 | 652.1 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1964 | 913.92 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +40.2% |
| 1965 | 935.9 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +2.4% |
| 1966 | 1,014 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +8.3% |
| 1967 | 1,126 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +11.1% |
| 1968 | 1,183 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +5.0% |
| 1969 | 1,220 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +3.1% |
| 1970 | 1,151 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -5.6% |
| 1971 | 1,268 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +10.1% |
| 1972 | 1,297 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +2.3% |
| 1973 | 1,634 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +26.0% |
| 1974 | 2,098 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +28.4% |
| 1975 | 2,635 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +25.6% |
| 1976 | 3,270 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +24.1% |
| 1977 | 3,637 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +11.2% |
| 1978 | 3,263 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -10.3% |
| 1979 | 2,914 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -10.7% |
| 1980 | 2,921 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +0.2% |
| 1981 | 3,232 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +10.6% |
| 1982 | 3,179 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 3,230 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +1.6% |
| 1984 | 3,480 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +7.7% |
| 1985 | 3,456 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -0.7% |
| 1986 | 3,523 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +1.9% |
| 1987 | 3,890 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +10.4% |
| 1988 | 4,566 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +17.4% |
| 1989 | 4,503 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1990 | 4,056 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -9.9% |
| 1991 | 3,332 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -17.9% |
| 1992 | 2,868 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -13.9% |
| 1993 | 2,651 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -7.6% |
| 1994 | 2,826 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +6.6% |
| 1995 | 2,514 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -11.0% |
| 1996 | 2,185 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -13.1% |
| 1997 | 2,009 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -8.1% |
| 1998 | 1,780 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -11.4% |
| 1999 | 1,706 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 2,002 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +17.4% |
| 2001 | 2,238 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +11.8% |
| 2002 | 2,453 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +9.6% |
| 2003 | 2,428 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 2,513 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 2,790 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +11.0% |
| 2006 | 2,829 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 2,787 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 2,771 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 2,898 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 2,805 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 2,906 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 3,037 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +4.5% |
| 2013 | 3,097 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 3,100 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 3,126 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 3,044 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -2.6% |
| 2017 | 3,001 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 2,875 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 2,857 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 2,967 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 2,794 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -5.8% |
| 2022 | 2,819 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 2,650 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | -6.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 2,650 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7,607 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre, 35% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 2,650 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,042 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre, 2.5× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military spending, per square kilometre in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1962 | +61.7% | 402.67 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 651.03 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 899.73 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 402.67 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 1,220 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 9 |
| 1970s | 2,317 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 1,151 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 3,637 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1980s | 3,598 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 2,921 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 4,566 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 1990s | 2,593 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 1,706 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 4,056 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,571 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 2,002 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 2,898 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,985 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 2,805 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 3,126 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,807 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 2,650 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 2,967 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 103 Moldova 2,992 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre compare
- 104 Egypt 2,759 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre compare
- 105 Kyrgyzstan 2,667 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre compare
- 107 Peru 2,630 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre compare
- 108 Brazil 2,521 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre compare
- 109 Senegal 2,352 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre compare
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military spending, per square kilometre in South Africa?
- Military spending, per square kilometre in South Africa was 2,650 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest military spending, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4,566 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre in 1988.
- What is the lowest military spending, per square kilometre recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 402.67 constant 2024 US$ per square kilometre in 1961.
- How does South Africa rank for military spending, per square kilometre?
- South Africa ranks 106th out of 161 countries with data for 2023.
- Is military spending, per square kilometre rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Military spending, per square kilometre. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Military spending divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Military spending ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Military spending Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Military spending divided by Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.