Nepal vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Nepal
112,000
in 2020
South Africa
89,000
in 2020
Nepal rank
52nd
South Africa rank
54th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Nepal
- South Africa
How they compare
Nepal currently reports 112,000 against 89,000 in South Africa, a difference of 23,000.
That makes Nepal's figure about 1.3 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was South Africa ahead.
Nepal ranks 52nd and South Africa ranks 54th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Nepal averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nepal | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 30,000 | 103,200 | 73,200 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 57,500 | 145,209 | 87,709 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 118,275 | 66,945 | 51,330 | Nepal |
| 2010s | 144,155 | 79,944 | 64,212 | Nepal |
| 2020s | 112,000 | 89,000 | 23,000 | Nepal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Nepal or South Africa?
- Nepal, at 112,000 against 89,000 in South Africa as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Nepal and South Africa?
- 23,000, with Nepal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nepal and South Africa?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Nepal and South Africa rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Nepal ranks 52nd 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.