Togo spent the equivalent of $116 million (about CFA63 billion) – 2% of its GDP – on military expenditures in 2020. This is according to a ranking by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), published on April 26. The ranking is dominated by North African countries, with Algeria, Morocco, and Egypt leading. In the sub-Saharan region, South Africa, Nigeria and Kenya invested the most in their military.
According to SIPRI, quoted by the Ecofin Agency, military expenditures cover “weapon purchases, military pensions and spending on paramilitaries.”
Togo is ranked 31st in this index, ahead of countries such as Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, and Niger, in a region where the jihadist threat keeps looming.
Although the budget allocated to defense and security remains low according to specialized organizations, the country very recently adopted a law on military programming, supported by a vast investment program. Between 2021 and 2025, the country plans to inject CFAF 700 billion into its army to adapt to new security contingencies.
2020 Ranking of African countries by military expenditures (SIPRI)
Ranking Country Amount (in US dollars) Percentage of GDP
1 Algeria $9.7 billion 6.7%
2 Morocco $4.8 billion 4.3%
3 Egypt $4.5 billion 1.2%
4 South Africa $3.1 billion 1.1%
5 Nigeria $2.5 billion 0.6%
6 Tunisia $1.15 billion 2.9%
7 Kenya $1.1 billion 1.1%
8 Angola $994 million 1.6%
9 Uganda $985 million 2.6%
10 Sudan $934 million 1.1%
11 Tanzania $659 million 1%
12 Côte d’Ivoire $607 million 1.3%
13 Mali $593 million 3.3%
14 Botswana $546 million 3.5%
15 Ethiopia $461 million 0.5%
16 Senegal $393 million 1.6%
17 Cameroon $393 million 1%
18 Burkina Faso $382 million 2.7%
19 Namibia $374 million 3.3%
20 DRC $362 million 0.7%
21 Chad $323 million 3.1%
22 Congo $298 million 3.4%
23 Gabon $271 million 1.8%
24 Ghana $240 million 0.4%
25 Niger $240 million 2.4%
26 Zambia $212 million 1.2%
27 Guinea $210 million 2.6%
28 Mauritania $200 million 2.5%
29 Mozambique $154 million 1.1%
30 Rwanda $143 million 1.4%
31 Togo $116 million 2%
32 Somalia $98 million …
33 Malawi $92.5 million 1.1%
34 Madagascar $87.4 million 0.7%
35 e-Swatini $75.1 million 1.8%
36 Benin $71.8 million 0.5%
37 Burundi $67.5 million 2.0%
38 Central African Republic $41.3 million 1.9%
39 Lesotho $38 million 1.6%
40 Sierra-Leone $23.8 million 0.6%
41 Guinea Bissau $23 million 1.7%
42 Seychelles $18.8 million 1.6%
43 Mauritius $18.1 million 0.2%
44 Liberia $16.9 million 1.3%
45 Gambia $14.8 million 0.8%
46 Cape Verde $11.3 million 0.6%
