South Africa vs Switzerland: Military spending as a share of GDP
South Africa
0.7%
in 2025
Switzerland
0.8%
in 2025
South Africa rank
142nd
Switzerland rank
141st
Military spending as a share of GDP over time
- South Africa
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 0.8% against 0.7% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 69 shared years of data; in 1957 it was Switzerland ahead.
South Africa ranks 142nd and Switzerland ranks 141st of 166 countries.
Across the 8 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 6 and Switzerland in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 1.1% | 2.8% | 1.8% | Switzerland |
| 1960s | 2.3% | 2.4% | 0.1% | Switzerland |
| 1970s | 3.5% | 2.0% | 1.5% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 3.9% | 1.7% | 2.2% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 1.3% | 1.0% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1.3% | 0.9% | 0.4% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.7% | 0.3% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 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, South Africa or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 0.8% against 0.7% in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military spending as a share of gdp between South Africa and Switzerland?
- 0.1%, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Switzerland?
- 69 years are reported by both, from 1957 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Switzerland rank globally for military spending as a share of gdp?
- South Africa ranks 142nd and Switzerland ranks 141st 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.