Mexico vs South Africa: Military spending as a share of GDP
Mexico
0.7%
in 2025
South Africa
0.7%
in 2025
Mexico rank
143rd
South Africa rank
142nd
Military spending as a share of GDP over time
- Mexico
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.7% against 0.7% in Mexico, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 75 shared years of data; in 1951 it was South Africa ahead.
Mexico ranks 143rd and South Africa ranks 142nd of 166 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 8 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Mexico | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 0.8% | 1.3% | 0.5% | South Africa |
| 1960s | 0.6% | 2.3% | 1.7% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 0.5% | 3.5% | 3.0% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 0.6% | 3.9% | 3.3% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 2.3% | 1.9% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 1.3% | 0.9% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 1.0% | 0.5% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.8% | 0.1% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military spending as a share of gdp, Mexico or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 0.7% against 0.7% in Mexico as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of gdp between Mexico and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Mexico and South Africa?
- 75 years are reported by both, from 1951 to 2025.
- How do Mexico and South Africa rank globally for military spending as a share of gdp?
- Mexico ranks 143rd and South Africa ranks 142nd of 166 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (2026) β 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.