Arms imports in South Africa

South Africa: Arms imports was 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
77th
of 172 countries
All-time high
914.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
in 2007
All-time low
1.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values
in 2013
Years of data
53
1960–2023

Arms imports in South Africa, 1960–2023

0200.0M400.0M600.0M800.0M1.0B196019912023

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

Analysis

In 2023, arms imports in South Africa stood at 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2,900.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, arms imports in South Africa peaked at 914.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2007 and was at its lowest, 1.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values, in 2013.

South Africa ranks 77th of 172 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 296.89 million SIPRI trend indicator values 13.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 518.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 9
1970s 332.40 million SIPRI trend indicator values 125.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 510.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 10
1980s 95.80 million SIPRI trend indicator values 11.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 214.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 10
1990s 109.89 million SIPRI trend indicator values 11.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 361.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 9
2000s 366.86 million SIPRI trend indicator values 6.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 914.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 7
2010s 94.33 million SIPRI trend indicator values 1.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 208.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 6
2020s 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 74 Democratic Republic of Congo 35.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
  2. 75 Switzerland 33.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
  3. 76 Trinidad and Tobago 32.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
  4. 78 Azerbaijan 28.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
  5. 78 Brunei 28.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare
  6. 80 Ecuador 25.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values compare

See the full ranking of 217 places →

More public sector data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is arms imports in South Africa?
Arms imports in South Africa was 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2023, according to Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
What is the highest arms imports recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 914.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2007.
What is the lowest arms imports recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values in 2013.
How does South Africa rank for arms imports?
South Africa ranks 77th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
Is arms imports rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 2,900.0%. 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 imports (SIPRI trend indicator values). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Arms imports (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
217 places, 9,420 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Arms transfers (imports) 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.