Chile vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Chile
114,000
in 2020
South Africa
89,000
in 2020
Chile rank
51st
South Africa rank
54th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Chile
- South Africa
How they compare
Chile currently reports 114,000 against 89,000 in South Africa, a difference of 25,000.
That makes Chile's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Africa ahead.
Chile ranks 51st and South Africa ranks 54th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Chile averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Chile | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 98,000 | 103,200 | 5,200 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 109,390 | 145,209 | 35,819 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 111,487 | 66,945 | 44,542 | Chile |
| 2010s | 112,672 | 79,944 | 32,729 | Chile |
| 2020s | 114,000 | 89,000 | 25,000 | Chile |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Chile or South Africa?
- Chile, at 114,000 against 89,000 in South Africa as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Chile and South Africa?
- 25,000, with Chile ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Chile and South Africa?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Chile and South Africa rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Chile ranks 51st 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.