We can all agree that defense of lives and properties is of uttermost importance. Amid rising incidents of internal and external terrorism as well as escalating aggression between states, the need to spend big on security/defense has never been more imperative for many African governments.
In an earlier article, we looked at five conflict hotspots in Africa and how their economies are being affected. One thing that peculiar to these five countries is that their ongoing conflicts are internal in nature. However, there have recently been escalating tensions between some neighbouring Central and Eastern African countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda. And as one can expect, some businesses have been affected.
There is no gainsaying the fact that economic progress is nearly impossible in a state of insecurity. That is why it's imperative for countries to secure their borders and territories. And one of the surest ways to do that is by spending big on the purchase of arms and security equipment, construction of military facilities and technology as well as recruitment, remuneration and training of security personnel.
While every country in African do have their defense budgets, some understandably spend more. For the rest of this article we shall focus on 15 of such African countries that have the biggest defense budgets as of 2022.
What is defense budget?
"The portion of the national budget that is allocated to defense covers salaries, training, and health care; maintains and purchases arms, equipment, and facilities; funds military operations; and funds the development of new technologies." —RAND Corporation
15 African countries with the highest defense budgets according to Statista
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