Are you looking for dividend growth stocks? These FTSE100 corporate stocks are expected to deliver forceful payout growth for at least the next few years.

BAE systems

Dividend rate: 2.5% for 2024, 2.7% for 2025

The stable nature of arms spending means defense is typically a solid dividend-generating sector. This is especially true today, when cracks in the global order are prompting rapid rearmament in the West.

BAE systems (LSE:BA.) is one performer with a long history of significant dividend growth. Since 2011, payouts to shareholders have increased every year. City analysts expect this trend to continue, so in my opinion it is worth taking a closer look at.

Payouts are expected to rise 8% this year to 32.3p per share. Dividend growth is expected to accelerate to 10% in 2025, resulting in a full-year payout of 35.5p.

Forecasts for next year confirm expected profit increases of 7% and 12% in 2024 and 2025, respectively. As a result, the estimated dividends for both years coincide with the expected profits by 2.1 times.

Both readings are twice the safety benchmark, providing dividend projections with additional steel.

BAE also has a forceful financial footing to fund a dividend in the event of earnings disappointment. Profits may be lower than estimated due to, for example, supply chain problems, which currently pose a grave threat to the annual profits of defense companies.

The Footer As of June, the company had £2.8 billion of cash on its balance sheet.

BAE Systems’ order backlog is growing rapidly, reaching a record £74.1 billion in mid-2025. It looks like they will continue to grow as well, which bodes well for long-term dividends.

Airtel Africa

Dividend rate: 5.4% for 2025, 5.5% for 2026

Telecommunications service provider Airtel Africa (LSE:AAF) doesn’t have as long a history of dividend growth as BAE. It was only listed on London Stock Exchange for five years. It also cut its annual payout in 2021, changing the dividend amount to reduce debt.

However, since then, cash payouts have increased, sometimes by more than double-digit percentages. This is a trend that City brokers expect to continue.

A total dividend of 6.52 US cents per share is forecast for this financial year (ending March 2025), representing an augment of 10% year-on-year. In FY2026, it is expected to augment further by 3% to 6.70 cents.

However, I must warn that Airtel’s outlook is not as solid as I would like.

Profits are falling due to unfavorable changes in currency rates (EBITDA fell by 16.5% in the period from April to September). Leverage levels are rising rapidly, with net debt to EBITDA increasing to 2.3 times since September.

Falling earnings also mean dividend cover will become negative this year, with earnings per share expected to be 46.7 US cents. On the positive side, City analysts expect earnings to rebound strongly in FY2026, providing solid dividend coverage of 2.7 times.

However, despite the uncertain near-term outlook, I still believe Airtel Africa stock is worth grave consideration by risk-tolerant investors.

Moreover, I believe that the long-term picture remains very attractive. Demand for telecommunications services in Africa continues to grow rapidly, with Airtel’s customer base growing 6.1% year-on-year to 156.6 million in September.