Cape Verde vs South Africa: Military spending as a share of GDP
Cape Verde
0.7%
in 2025
South Africa
0.7%
in 2025
Cape Verde rank
145th
South Africa rank
142nd
Military spending as a share of GDP over time
- Cape Verde
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.7% against 0.7% in Cape Verde, a difference of 0.0%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Cape Verde's.
Across all 39 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Cape Verde ranks 145th and South Africa ranks 142nd of 166 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Cape Verde | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.3% | 4.0% | 1.7% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 2.0% | 1.1% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 1.3% | 0.6% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.5% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.8% | 0.2% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of gdp, Cape Verde or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 0.7% against 0.7% in Cape Verde as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of gdp between Cape Verde and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Cape Verde and South Africa?
- 39 years are reported by both, from 1984 to 2025.
- How do Cape Verde and South Africa rank globally for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Cape Verde ranks 145th and South Africa ranks 142nd of 166 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military spending as a share of GDP. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Total military expenditure divided by gross domestic product, expressed as a percentage.