Military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Military expenditure was 21.65 billion current USD in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1963–2024
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in current USD.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 21.65 billion current USD for military expenditure in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.4% on the previous year and down 6.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 23.25 billion current USD in 2014 and was at its lowest, 422.57 million current USD, in 1963.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 36th of 42 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | current USD | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 422.57 million current USD | — |
| 1964 | 558.69 million current USD | +32.2% |
| 1965 | 669.63 million current USD | +19.9% |
| 1966 | 713.83 million current USD | +6.6% |
| 1967 | 878.61 million current USD | +23.1% |
| 1968 | 1.12 billion current USD | +27.5% |
| 1969 | 1.54 billion current USD | +37.5% |
| 1970 | 1.61 billion current USD | +4.8% |
| 1971 | 1.73 billion current USD | +7.1% |
| 1972 | 2.05 billion current USD | +18.7% |
| 1973 | 2.57 billion current USD | +25.1% |
| 1974 | 3.48 billion current USD | +35.6% |
| 1975 | 5.68 billion current USD | +63.3% |
| 1976 | 5.68 billion current USD | -0.0% |
| 1977 | 7.05 billion current USD | +24.1% |
| 1978 | 7.97 billion current USD | +13.0% |
| 1979 | 8.81 billion current USD | +10.6% |
| 1980 | 9.51 billion current USD | +7.9% |
| 1981 | 8.82 billion current USD | -7.3% |
| 1982 | 7.92 billion current USD | -10.2% |
| 1983 | 8.23 billion current USD | +3.9% |
| 1984 | 7.89 billion current USD | -4.1% |
| 1985 | 7.04 billion current USD | -10.8% |
| 1986 | 7.13 billion current USD | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 8.28 billion current USD | +16.0% |
| 1988 | 9.33 billion current USD | +12.8% |
| 1989 | 9.26 billion current USD | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 10.82 billion current USD | +16.9% |
| 1991 | 9.34 billion current USD | -13.7% |
| 1992 | 7.41 billion current USD | -20.7% |
| 1993 | 8.34 billion current USD | +12.5% |
| 1994 | 6.50 billion current USD | -22.1% |
| 1995 | 6.19 billion current USD | -4.8% |
| 1996 | 5.71 billion current USD | -7.7% |
| 1997 | 6.09 billion current USD | +6.7% |
| 1998 | 5.76 billion current USD | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 6.75 billion current USD | +17.2% |
| 2000 | 6.35 billion current USD | -5.9% |
| 2001 | 5.75 billion current USD | -9.5% |
| 2002 | 6.56 billion current USD | +14.2% |
| 2003 | 7.43 billion current USD | +13.2% |
| 2004 | 9.31 billion current USD | +25.3% |
| 2005 | 10.39 billion current USD | +11.7% |
| 2006 | 12.50 billion current USD | +20.3% |
| 2007 | 14.16 billion current USD | +13.3% |
| 2008 | 17.96 billion current USD | +26.8% |
| 2009 | 17.83 billion current USD | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 16.59 billion current USD | -7.0% |
| 2011 | 18.22 billion current USD | +9.8% |
| 2012 | 18.75 billion current USD | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 21.74 billion current USD | +15.9% |
| 2014 | 23.25 billion current USD | +6.9% |
| 2015 | 20.38 billion current USD | -12.3% |
| 2016 | 19.21 billion current USD | -5.7% |
| 2017 | 21.66 billion current USD | +12.7% |
| 2018 | 18.57 billion current USD | -14.3% |
| 2019 | 17.83 billion current USD | -4.0% |
| 2020 | 18.62 billion current USD | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 22.21 billion current USD | +19.3% |
| 2022 | 21.71 billion current USD | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 23.13 billion current USD | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 21.65 billion current USD | -6.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 843.38 million current USD | 422.57 million current USD | 1.54 billion current USD | 7 |
| 1970s | 4.66 billion current USD | 1.61 billion current USD | 8.81 billion current USD | 10 |
| 1980s | 8.34 billion current USD | 7.04 billion current USD | 9.51 billion current USD | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.29 billion current USD | 5.71 billion current USD | 10.82 billion current USD | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.82 billion current USD | 5.75 billion current USD | 17.96 billion current USD | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.62 billion current USD | 16.59 billion current USD | 23.25 billion current USD | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.46 billion current USD | 18.62 billion current USD | 23.13 billion current USD | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 33 Belgium 8.56 billion current USD compare
- 34 Greece 8.02 billion current USD compare
- 35 Iran 7.89 billion current USD compare
- 36 Kuwait 7.79 billion current USD compare
- 37 Finland 6.99 billion current USD compare
- 38 Switzerland 6.72 billion current USD compare
- 39 Czechia 6.52 billion current USD compare
More public sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Arms imports 731.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.5808 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 25.82 % change on previous year (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 731.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 16.78 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0109 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -6.4 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 21.65 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 30.58 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 21.65 billion current USD in 2024, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 23.25 billion current USD in 2014.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 422.57 million current USD in 1963.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for military expenditure?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 36th out of 42 groups with data for 2024.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published as part of Military expenditure (current USD). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Military spending USD, in current prices (converted at the exchange rate for the given year)