South Sudan Military Spending
South Sudan spends an estimated 4.1% of GDP on its military in 2026; its most recent reported expenditure in US dollars is $103 million (2025).
Defense budget and military expenditure data (2006–2027)
Data updated: July 7, 2026
Key Facts (2026 estimate)
Military Expenditure
$106 million
Ranked #139 of 153 countries worldwide
Percent of GDP
4.1%
Ranked #21 of 163 countries by % of GDP
Year-over-Year Change
+2.9%
From $103M in 2025
Historical Peak Spending
$225 million
Reached in 2011
How the 2026 figures are produced. Neither figure is a researched budget estimate. The share-of-GDP figure is the arithmetic mean of South Sudan’s last 3 reported years (2023–2025), carried across both estimate years unchanged. The dollar figure is not a per-country forecast — it is the actual SIPRI figure for 2025 raised by a flat 3%, the same rate applied to every country in this group, so it can rise even where the share-of-GDP path falls. Actual SIPRI figures for South Sudan run to 2025.
South Sudan Defense Budget Summary
In 2026, South Sudan is estimated to have spent $106 million on military and defense, representing 4.1% of the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This budget covers the armed forces including army, navy, and air force expenditures. South Sudan is the #139 highest military spender in the world by absolute spending.
Compared to the previous year (2025), defense spending increased by 2.9%, from $103 million to $106 million. This change in the military budget reflects growing defense priorities.
The highest percentage of GDP allocated to defense spending was 8.8% in 2012. The historical average military budget is 4.8% of GDP.
Data source: SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. Values are in constant 2024 US dollars. Data for 2026 is an estimate based on government budget announcements.
Historical Military Spending
Military Spending (% of GDP)
Military Spending (USD Billions, 2024 prices)
Historical Data
| Year | Percent of GDP | USD (millions) |
|---|---|---|
| 2027(estimate) | 4.12% | $109M |
| 2026(estimate) | 4.12% | $106M |
| 2025 | 3.42% | $103M |
| 2024 | 6.55% | $169M |
| 2023 | 2.38% | $77M |
| 2022 | 1.57% | $34M |
| 2021 | 1.51% | $13M |
| 2020 | 1.87% | $9M |
| 2019 | 3.80% | $16M |
| 2018 | 4.77% | $26M |
| 2017 | 3.99% | $19M |
| 2016 | 4.85% | $43M |
| 2015 | 8.60% | $149M |
| 2014 | 8.57% | $185M |
| 2013 | 6.57% | $142M |
| 2012 | 8.77% | $143M |
| 2011 | 6.09% | $225M |
| 2010 | 4.14% | $157M |
| 2009 | 4.97% | $149M |
| 2008 | 5.76% | $209M |
| 2007 | — | $151M |
| 2006 | — | $165M |