Arms exports in South Africa

South Africa: Arms exports was 27.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
27.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
Change on year
down 53.4%
World rank
36th
of 70 countries
All-time high
244.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
in 2010
All-time low
0 SIPRI trend indicator values
in 1977
Years of data
54
1960–2024

Arms exports in South Africa, 1960–2024

050.0M100.0M150.0M200.0M250.0M196019922024

Source: Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in SIPRI trend indicator values.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 27.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values for arms exports in 2024.

The figure is down 53.4% on the previous year and down 57.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arms exports in South Africa peaked at 244.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2010 and was at its lowest, 0 SIPRI trend indicator values, in 1977.

South Africa ranks 36th of 70 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 20.25 million SIPRI trend indicator values 8.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 33.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 4
1970s 10.12 million SIPRI trend indicator values 0 SIPRI trend indicator values 28.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 8
1980s 25.25 million SIPRI trend indicator values 0 SIPRI trend indicator values 49.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 8
1990s 33.67 million SIPRI trend indicator values 7.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 75.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 9
2000s 82.30 million SIPRI trend indicator values 21.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 200.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 10
2010s 110.60 million SIPRI trend indicator values 49.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 244.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 10
2020s 75.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 27.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 120.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 34 Switzerland 33.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
  2. 35 Syria 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
  3. 36 Finland 27.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
  4. 38 India 25.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
  5. 39 Ukraine 23.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare

See the full ranking of 106 places →

More public sector data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is arms exports in South Africa?
Arms exports in South Africa was 27.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2024, according to Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
What is the highest arms exports recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 244.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2010.
What is the lowest arms exports recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0 SIPRI trend indicator values in 1977.
How does South Africa rank for arms exports?
South Africa ranks 36th out of 70 countries with data for 2024.
Is arms exports rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 57.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 54 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Arms exports (SIPRI trend indicator values)
Unit
SIPRI trend indicator values
Source
Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
106 places, 3,345 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Arms transfers (exports) cover the volume of transfers of major arms through sales and gifts, and those made through manufacturing licenses. Data cover major conventional weapons such as aircraft, armored vehicles, artillery, radar systems, missiles, and ships. Figures are SIPRI Trend Indicator Values (TIVs). A '0' indicates that the volume of deliveries is between 0 and 0.5 million SIPRI TIV.