Australia vs South Africa: Military expenditure

Australia
51.41 billion current LCU
in 2024
South Africa
51.97 billion current LCU
in 2024
Australia rank
84th
South Africa rank
83rd

Military expenditure over time

  • Australia
  • South Africa
020.0B40.0B60.0B196019922024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 51.97 billion current LCU against 51.41 billion current LCU in Australia, a difference of 569.00 million current LCU.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 65 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Australia ahead.

Australia ranks 84th and South Africa ranks 83rd of 167 countries.

Across the 7 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Australia South Africa Difference Ahead
1960s 735.50 million current LCU 188.78 million current LCU 546.73 million current LCU Australia
1970s 1.76 billion current LCU 1.02 billion current LCU 733.42 million current LCU Australia
1980s 5.78 billion current LCU 5.36 billion current LCU 423.23 million current LCU Australia
1990s 10.20 billion current LCU 11.08 billion current LCU 887.11 million current LCU South Africa
2000s 17.57 billion current LCU 21.56 billion current LCU 3.99 billion current LCU South Africa
2010s 30.78 billion current LCU 41.92 billion current LCU 11.14 billion current LCU South Africa
2020s 46.05 billion current LCU 52.29 billion current LCU 6.24 billion current LCU South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military expenditure, Australia or South Africa?
South Africa, at 51.97 billion current LCU against 51.41 billion current LCU in Australia as of 2024.
What is the difference in military expenditure between Australia and South Africa?
569.00 million current LCU, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Africa?
65 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2024.
How do Australia and South Africa rank globally for military expenditure?
Australia ranks 84th and South Africa ranks 83rd of 167 countries.
Where does this data come from?
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (current LCU). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Australia vs South Africa: Military expenditure. Statizoid, drawing on SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/military-expenditure-current-lcu/australia/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Military expenditure (current LCU)
Unit
current LCU
Source
SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
167 places, 8,248 data points, 1960–2024
Last refreshed

Military expenditure in local currency at current prices (by calendar year)