Nam weighted down by military burden

Jo-Maré Duddy



Namibia is one of only 19 countries worldwide whose military spending last year exceeded 3% of gross domestic product (GDP).

It had the 14th largest military burden out of the 155 countries for which data was available, according to the latest report of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri).

With military spending equalling 3.3% of GDP last year, Namibia was one of only four countries in Africa who breached the Sipri threshold, the global watchdog's data shows. Algeria with a military burden of 5.3% led the pack, followed by Namibia, Morocco (3.1%) and Mauritania (3.0%).

Sipri's data for Namibia goes back to 1991. Since the, government has spent an average of 3.12% of GDP on defence every year.



Budget

According to the latest figures tabled in parliament by finance minister in March, government's revised defence budget for 2018/19 was more than N$5.95 billion. Namibia GDP for the fiscal year was nearly N$187.9 billion.

For the current fiscal year, nearly N$5.89 billion was allocated to defence, making it the fourth biggest expenditure item in the budget. Over the medium-term expenditure framework (MTEF), which ends 31 March 2022, the taxpayer will have to cough up nearly N$18 billion for defence.

Defence's development budget for 2019/20 totals about N$385.3 million. Of this, nearly N$125.1 million is classified spending. In the next budget year, the total development budget is nearly N$473.5 million, of which N$200 million is classified. In 2020/21, the project development budget is N$546.7 million and N$280 million is available for classified spending.



Neighbours

According to Sipri's figures, South Africa's military spending last year equalled 1% of its GDP. The percentage for Namibia's other neighbours were: Botswana (2.8%), Zambia (1.4%), Zimbabwe (2.2%) and Angola (1.8%).

Military spending in Angola last year was 49% lower than in 2017, Sirpi says.

“Angola's military expenditure fell for the fourth consecutive year in 2018 to reach US$2.0 billion. Lower oil prices since mid-2014 have placed the Angolan economy under severe stress, leading to cuts in government expenditure, including military spending,” Sipri says.

In sub-Saharan Africa, military spending was US$18.4 billion in 2018, down by 11% from 2017 and 21% lower than in 2009, according to the watchdog.

Another notable decrease in military spending in sub-Saharan Africa in 2018 occurred in South Sudan, which dropped by 50%, according to Sipri.

“The fall in South Sudan's military spending, the seventh over the past 10 years, arose in the context of the civil war in the country, which pushed the economy into further disarray. At US$59.4 million, South Sudanese military spending in 2018 was only 4.2% of the peak reached in 2011.

“This is a low figure and does not include the unknown level of funding to the military that is reportedly channelled from South Sudan's state-owned oil company,” Sipri says.

Nigeria, sub-Saharan Africa's second-largest spender behind South Africa, increased its military spending for the first time in six years, by 18% to US$2.0 billion in 2018.



World

World military expenditure is estimated to have been US$1 822 billion in 2018, Sipri says. It was 2.6% higher in real terms than in 2017 and 5.4% higher than in 2009.

“Global military spending has been gradually rising following a post-2009 low in 2014. It is now 76% higher than the post-cold war low in 1998,” Sipri says.

The world military burden fell to 2.1% in 2018. This equals the level of 2014 — the lowest of the post-cold war period, Sipri says.

Military spending per capita increased from US$230 in 2017 to US$239 in 2018, as the 1.1% growth in world population was surpassed by the growth in military spending, according to the watchdog.