Azerbaijan vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Azerbaijan
82,000
in 2020
South Africa
89,000
in 2020
Azerbaijan rank
55th
South Africa rank
54th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Azerbaijan
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 89,000 against 82,000 in Azerbaijan, a difference of 7,000.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Azerbaijan's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 29 shared years of data; in 1992 it was South Africa ahead.
Azerbaijan ranks 55th and South Africa ranks 54th of 173 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Azerbaijan averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Azerbaijan | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 81,769 | 160,886 | 79,118 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 83,374 | 66,945 | 16,429 | Azerbaijan |
| 2010s | 81,959 | 79,944 | 2,016 | Azerbaijan |
| 2020s | 82,000 | 89,000 | 7,000 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Azerbaijan or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 89,000 against 82,000 in Azerbaijan as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Azerbaijan and South Africa?
- 7,000, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Azerbaijan and South Africa?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.
- How do Azerbaijan and South Africa rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Azerbaijan ranks 55th and South Africa ranks 54th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. 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.