Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita was 0.4746 SIPRI trend indicator values per person in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.4746 SIPRI trend indicator values per person
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
128th
of 172 countries
All-time high
28.85 SIPRI trend indicator values per person
in 1963
All-time low
0.0183 SIPRI trend indicator values per person
in 2013
Years of data
53
1960–2023
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita in South Africa, 1960–2023
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in SIPRI trend indicator values per person.
Analysis
In 2023, arms imports (sipri trend indicator values), per capita in South Africa stood at 0.4746 SIPRI trend indicator values per person.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and up 2,495.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, arms imports (sipri trend indicator values), per capita in South Africa peaked at 28.85 SIPRI trend indicator values per person in 1963 and was at its lowest, 0.0183 SIPRI trend indicator values per person, in 2013.
South Africa ranks 128th 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.
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | SIPRI trend indicator values per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.7907 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | — |
| 1962 | 13.32 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +1584.4% |
| 1963 | 28.85 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +116.6% |
| 1964 | 16.26 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -43.6% |
| 1965 | 20.22 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +24.4% |
| 1966 | 25.19 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +24.6% |
| 1967 | 14.72 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -41.6% |
| 1968 | 10.31 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -30.0% |
| 1969 | 9.76 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -5.3% |
| 1970 | 22.89 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +134.5% |
| 1971 | 13.47 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -41.2% |
| 1972 | 12.33 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -8.5% |
| 1973 | 15.19 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +23.2% |
| 1974 | 7.08 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -53.4% |
| 1975 | 9.15 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +29.1% |
| 1976 | 15.87 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +73.5% |
| 1977 | 18.44 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +16.1% |
| 1978 | 13.96 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -24.3% |
| 1979 | 4.37 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -68.7% |
| 1980 | 6.5 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +49.0% |
| 1981 | 3.99 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -38.6% |
| 1982 | 1.39 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -65.2% |
| 1983 | 6.54 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +369.7% |
| 1984 | 3.6 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -44.9% |
| 1985 | 0.7134 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -80.2% |
| 1986 | 5.28 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +640.0% |
| 1987 | 0.5358 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -89.9% |
| 1988 | 0.4418 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -17.6% |
| 1989 | 0.2776 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -37.2% |
| 1990 | 0.27 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 0.6237 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +131.0% |
| 1992 | 8.51 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +1263.7% |
| 1993 | 5.64 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -33.7% |
| 1994 | 5.43 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -3.6% |
| 1995 | 0.8531 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -84.3% |
| 1996 | 0.8421 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 0.2409 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -71.4% |
| 1999 | 0.4494 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +86.6% |
| 2000 | 0.1272 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -71.7% |
| 2001 | 0.3784 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +197.4% |
| 2005 | 5.29 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +1299.0% |
| 2006 | 14.82 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +179.9% |
| 2007 | 18.09 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +22.1% |
| 2008 | 9.64 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -46.7% |
| 2009 | 2.59 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -73.1% |
| 2010 | 3.4 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +31.3% |
| 2011 | 3.92 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +15.4% |
| 2012 | 2.36 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -39.8% |
| 2013 | 0.0183 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -99.2% |
| 2014 | 0.8994 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +4817.6% |
| 2015 | 0.0353 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -96.1% |
| 2022 | 0.4809 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | +1264.0% |
| 2023 | 0.4746 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | -1.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.4746 SIPRI trend indicator values per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.08 SIPRI trend indicator values per person, 23% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.4746 SIPRI trend indicator values per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.4186 SIPRI trend indicator values per person, 1.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +4817.6% | 0.0183 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 0.8994 SIPRI trend indicator values per person |
| 1962 | +1584.4% | 0.7907 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 13.32 SIPRI trend indicator values per person |
| 2005 | +1299.0% | 0.3784 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 5.29 SIPRI trend indicator values per person |
| 1992 | +1263.7% | 0.6237 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 8.51 SIPRI trend indicator values per person |
| 2022 | +1264.0% | 0.0353 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 0.4809 SIPRI trend indicator values per person |
| 1986 | +640.0% | 0.7134 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 5.28 SIPRI trend indicator values per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 15.49 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 0.7907 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 28.85 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 9 |
| 1970s | 13.27 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 4.37 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 22.89 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.93 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 0.2776 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 6.54 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 2.54 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 0.2409 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 8.51 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 9 |
| 2000s | 7.28 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 0.1272 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 18.09 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 7 |
| 2010s | 1.77 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 0.0183 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 3.92 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 6 |
| 2020s | 0.4778 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 0.4746 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 0.4809 SIPRI trend indicator values per person | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 125 Congo 0.5091 SIPRI trend indicator values per person compare
- 126 Iraq 0.4995 SIPRI trend indicator values per person compare
- 127 Uzbekistan 0.4768 SIPRI trend indicator values per person compare
- 129 Bulgaria 0.464 SIPRI trend indicator values per person compare
- 130 Iran 0.4587 SIPRI trend indicator values per person compare
- 131 Lesotho 0.4526 SIPRI trend indicator values per person compare
More public sector data for South Africa
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 30.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is arms imports (sipri trend indicator values), per capita in South Africa?
- Arms imports (sipri trend indicator values), per capita in South Africa was 0.4746 SIPRI trend indicator values per person in 2023, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest arms imports (sipri trend indicator values), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 28.85 SIPRI trend indicator values per person in 1963.
- What is the lowest arms imports (sipri trend indicator values), per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0183 SIPRI trend indicator values per person in 2013.
- How does South Africa rank for arms imports (sipri trend indicator values), per capita?
- South Africa ranks 128th out of 172 countries with data for 2023.
- Is arms imports (sipri trend indicator values), per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2,495.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 53 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Arms imports Arms Transfers Programme, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.