Military expenditure (current USD) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Military expenditure (current USD) was 23.28 billion current USD in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2025)
23.28 billion current USD
Change on year
up 16.2%
Rank
34th
of 44 groups
All-time high
23.28 billion current USD
in 2025
All-time low
422.26 million current USD
in 1963
Years of data
63
1963–2025
Military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1963–2025
Source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI). Measured in current USD.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) is 23.28 billion current USD, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
The figure is up 16.2% on the previous year and up 19.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 23.28 billion current USD in 2025 and was at its lowest, 422.26 million current USD, in 1963.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 34th out of 44 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military expenditure (current USD) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | current USD | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 422.26 million current USD | — |
| 1964 | 545.72 million current USD | +29.2% |
| 1965 | 669.31 million current USD | +22.6% |
| 1966 | 713.52 million current USD | +6.6% |
| 1967 | 878.29 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 | 8.09 billion current USD | -8.3% |
| 1983 | 8.23 billion current USD | +1.7% |
| 1984 | 7.89 billion current USD | -4.1% |
| 1985 | 7.05 billion current USD | -10.7% |
| 1986 | 7.14 billion current USD | +1.3% |
| 1987 | 8.29 billion current USD | +16.0% |
| 1988 | 9.34 billion current USD | +12.8% |
| 1989 | 9.27 billion current USD | -0.8% |
| 1990 | 10.84 billion current USD | +16.9% |
| 1991 | 9.36 billion current USD | -13.6% |
| 1992 | 7.43 billion current USD | -20.6% |
| 1993 | 8.35 billion current USD | +12.4% |
| 1994 | 6.51 billion current USD | -22.0% |
| 1995 | 6.20 billion current USD | -4.8% |
| 1996 | 5.72 billion current USD | -7.7% |
| 1997 | 6.10 billion current USD | +6.7% |
| 1998 | 6.07 billion current USD | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 6.76 billion current USD | +11.2% |
| 2000 | 6.36 billion current USD | -5.9% |
| 2001 | 5.76 billion current USD | -9.5% |
| 2002 | 6.57 billion current USD | +14.2% |
| 2003 | 7.44 billion current USD | +13.2% |
| 2004 | 9.32 billion current USD | +25.3% |
| 2005 | 10.41 billion current USD | +11.7% |
| 2006 | 12.51 billion current USD | +20.2% |
| 2007 | 14.18 billion current USD | +13.3% |
| 2008 | 17.97 billion current USD | +26.7% |
| 2009 | 17.84 billion current USD | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 16.58 billion current USD | -7.0% |
| 2011 | 18.23 billion current USD | +9.9% |
| 2012 | 18.76 billion current USD | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 21.78 billion current USD | +16.1% |
| 2014 | 23.28 billion current USD | +6.9% |
| 2015 | 19.51 billion current USD | -16.2% |
| 2016 | 19.20 billion current USD | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 21.65 billion current USD | +12.8% |
| 2018 | 18.61 billion current USD | -14.0% |
| 2019 | 18.12 billion current USD | -2.7% |
| 2020 | 18.47 billion current USD | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 21.06 billion current USD | +14.0% |
| 2022 | 20.77 billion current USD | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 22.08 billion current USD | +6.3% |
| 2024 | 20.04 billion current USD | -9.2% |
| 2025 | 23.28 billion current USD | +16.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 841.35 million current USD | 422.26 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 | 8.36 billion current USD | 7.05 billion current USD | 9.51 billion current USD | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.33 billion current USD | 5.72 billion current USD | 10.84 billion current USD | 10 |
| 2000s | 10.84 billion current USD | 5.76 billion current USD | 17.97 billion current USD | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.57 billion current USD | 16.58 billion current USD | 23.28 billion current USD | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.95 billion current USD | 18.47 billion current USD | 23.28 billion current USD | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 31 Mexico 13.65 billion current USD compare
- 32 Pakistan 11.87 billion current USD compare
- 33 Vietnam 10.49 billion current USD compare
- 34 Romania 9.73 billion current USD compare
- 35 Greece 8.39 billion current USD compare
- 36 Kuwait 8.09 billion current USD compare
- 37 Finland 8.08 billion current USD compare
More public sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Arms imports 583.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.5807 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 16.8 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 -6.41 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 21.67 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 (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Military expenditure in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 23.28 billion current USD in 2025, according to SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
- What is the highest military expenditure recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 23.28 billion current USD in 2025.
- What is the lowest military expenditure recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 422.26 million current USD in 1963.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for military expenditure?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 34th out of 44 groups with data for 2025.
- Is military expenditure rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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)