Philippines vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population
Philippines
0.1%
in 2020
South Africa
0.1%
in 2020
Philippines rank
140th
South Africa rank
138th
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population over time
- Philippines
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.1% against 0.1% in Philippines, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Africa ahead.
Philippines ranks 140th and South Africa ranks 138th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Philippines averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Philippines | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | Philippines |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | Philippines |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of total population, Philippines or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 0.1% against 0.1% in Philippines as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of total population between Philippines and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Philippines and South Africa?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Philippines and South Africa rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Philippines ranks 140th and South Africa ranks 138th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.