Singapore vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Military expenditure (% of GDP)
Singapore
3.0%
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa
1.1%
in 2025
Singapore rank
36th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
39th
Military expenditure (% of GDP) over time
- Singapore
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
Singapore currently reports 3.0% against 1.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 1.9%.
That makes Singapore's figure about 2.7 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, Singapore has been ahead every year.
Singapore ranks 36th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 39th of 167 countries.
Singapore has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Singapore | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.0% | 3.3% | 1.7% | Singapore |
| 1980s | 4.8% | 3.2% | 1.6% | Singapore |
| 1990s | 4.5% | 2.0% | 2.4% | Singapore |
| 2000s | 4.3% | 1.5% | 2.8% | Singapore |
| 2010s | 3.0% | 1.1% | 1.9% | Singapore |
| 2020s | 2.7% | 1.1% | 1.7% | Singapore |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military expenditure, Singapore or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Singapore, at 3.0% against 1.1% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in military expenditure between Singapore and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 1.9%, with Singapore ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Singapore and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Singapore and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for military expenditure?
- Singapore ranks 36th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 39th of 167 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as Military expenditure (% of GDP). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Military expenditure by country as percentage of gross domestic product