Sub-Saharan Africa: Military expenditure (current USD)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2025, Sub-Saharan Africa's military expenditure (current USD) rose 16.2% on 2024 (from 20.04 billion to 23.28 billion).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.4% and a typical year strayed about 11.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 63.3% in 1975 and the biggest yearly fall was 22% in 1994. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2025 the straight-line trend is upward, about 323.08 million a year. A straight line explains 32% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Military spending USD, in current prices (converted at the exchange rate for the given year)

Limitations: SIPRI strives to compile reliable, consistent military expenditure data by assessing multiple sources, but accuracy depends on the quality and transparency of those sources. Challenges arise from two key issues: whether reported figures reflect actual spending and how closely they match SIPRI’s definition. While data is generally accurate in developed and many developing countries, weak governance, corruption, and secret transfers in others can lead to major discrepancies. SIPRI sometimes makes estimates, when sources conflict or lack coverage, introducing uncertainty, especially for countries like China or the UAE.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 63 values

Military expenditure (current USD) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 278.25 million (2021)
• Algeria — 25.44 billion (2025)
• Bahrain — 1.47 billion (2025)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 2.5 billion (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 7.4 billion (2025)
• Iraq — 6.45 billion (2025)
• Israel — 48.28 billion (2025)
• Jordan — 2.56 billion (2025)
• Kuwait — 8.09 billion (2025)
• Lebanon — 828.3 million (2025)
• Libya

More public sector data for Sub-Saharan Africa

• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.13% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 583 million (2025)
• Armed forces personnel, total — 1.73 million (2020)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.38% (2020)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.03 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.09 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high) — 3.2 (2025)
• CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.28 (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Sub-Saharan Africa's military expenditure (current USD)?

23.28 billion in 2025, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1963?

It is up 5,414% from 422.26 million in 1963 (6.68% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 23.28 billion in 2025 and the lowest 422.26 million in 1963.

Is the latest change in military expenditure (current USD) unusual for Sub-Saharan Africa?

In 2025, Sub-Saharan Africa's military expenditure (current USD) rose 16.2% on 2024 (from 20.04 billion to 23.28 billion). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2024), the average change was +4.4% and a typical year strayed about 11.2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.XPND.CD, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), uri: https://www.sipri.org/databases Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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