Chile vs South Africa: Military personnel
Chile
69,000 people
in 2022
South Africa
74,000 people
in 2022
Chile rank
54th
South Africa rank
51st
Military personnel over time
- Chile
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 74,000 people against 69,000 people in Chile, a difference of 5,000 people.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Chile's.
The two have swapped places 9 times across 93 shared years of data; in 1923 it was Chile ahead.
Chile ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 51st of 194 countries.
Across the 11 decades both report, Chile averaged higher in 10 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Chile | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 26,667 people | 2,000 people | 24,667 people | Chile |
| 1930s | 22,700 people | 3,100 people | 19,600 people | Chile |
| 1940s | 35,750 people | 22,250 people | 13,500 people | Chile |
| 1950s | 42,900 people | 15,600 people | 27,300 people | Chile |
| 1960s | 65,700 people | 43,000 people | 22,700 people | Chile |
| 1970s | 93,400 people | 58,400 people | 35,000 people | Chile |
| 1980s | 116,600 people | 88,700 people | 27,900 people | Chile |
| 1990s | 96,500 people | 75,800 people | 20,700 people | Chile |
| 2000s | 76,800 people | 59,500 people | 17,300 people | Chile |
| 2010s | 64,400 people | 63,700 people | 700 people | Chile |
| 2020s | 71,667 people | 74,333 people | 2,667 people | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, Chile or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 74,000 people against 69,000 people in Chile as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between Chile and South Africa?
- 5,000 people, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Chile and South Africa?
- 93 years are reported by both, from 1923 to 2022.
- How do Chile and South Africa rank globally for military personnel?
- Chile ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 51st of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.