Armed forces personnel in South Africa
South Africa: Armed forces personnel was 89,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in South Africa, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 89,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 15.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in South Africa peaked at 277,900 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 55,000, in 2004.
That places South Africa 54th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 106,400 | — |
| 1989 | 100,000 | -6.0% |
| 1990 | 85,000 | -15.0% |
| 1991 | 80,000 | -5.9% |
| 1992 | 75,000 | -6.2% |
| 1993 | 75,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 75,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 276,900 | +269.2% |
| 1996 | 277,900 | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 217,440 | -21.8% |
| 1998 | 211,700 | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 78,150 | -63.1% |
| 2000 | 71,600 | -8.4% |
| 2001 | 67,000 | -6.4% |
| 2002 | 60,000 | -10.4% |
| 2003 | 55,700 | -7.2% |
| 2004 | 55,000 | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 56,000 | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 103,000 | +83.9% |
| 2007 | 62,000 | -39.8% |
| 2008 | 62,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 77,153 | +24.4% |
| 2010 | 77,153 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 77,582 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 62,100 | -20.0% |
| 2013 | 77,150 | +24.2% |
| 2014 | 82,250 | +6.6% |
| 2015 | 82,150 | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 81,400 | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 80,000 | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 89,650 | +12.1% |
| 2019 | 90,000 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 89,000 | -1.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 89,000 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 89,000 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 5.6× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +269.2% | 75,000 | 276,900 |
| 2006 | +83.9% | 56,000 | 103,000 |
| 1999 | -63.1% | 211,700 | 78,150 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 103,200 | 100,000 | 106,400 | 2 |
| 1990s | 145,209 | 75,000 | 277,900 | 10 |
| 2000s | 66,945 | 55,000 | 103,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 79,944 | 62,100 | 90,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 89,000 | 89,000 | 89,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in South Africa?
- Armed forces personnel in South Africa was 89,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 277,900 in 1996.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 55,000 in 2004.
- How does South Africa rank for armed forces personnel?
- South Africa ranks 54th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.