Military personnel, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Military personnel, per capita was 0.0012 people per person in 2022. ▼ Falling
Military personnel, per capita in South Africa, 1960–2022
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in people per person.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.0012 people per person for military personnel, per capita in 2022.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.0032 people per person in 1972 and was at its lowest, 0.0011 people per person, in 2019.
South Africa ranks 138th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 63 years of available data.
Military personnel, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | people per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0.0013 people per person | — |
| 1961 | 0.0014 people per person | +6.1% |
| 1962 | 0.0014 people per person | -2.9% |
| 1963 | 0.0025 people per person | +81.9% |
| 1964 | 0.0027 people per person | +7.8% |
| 1965 | 0.0029 people per person | +6.7% |
| 1966 | 0.0025 people per person | -11.9% |
| 1967 | 0.0025 people per person | -3.1% |
| 1968 | 0.0026 people per person | +6.6% |
| 1969 | 0.0025 people per person | -3.0% |
| 1970 | 0.0018 people per person | -29.4% |
| 1971 | 0.0026 people per person | +45.7% |
| 1972 | 0.0032 people per person | +21.5% |
| 1973 | 0.0016 people per person | -48.2% |
| 1974 | 0.0018 people per person | +9.4% |
| 1975 | 0.0019 people per person | +8.1% |
| 1976 | 0.0022 people per person | +14.9% |
| 1977 | 0.0025 people per person | +10.5% |
| 1978 | 0.0028 people per person | +13.3% |
| 1979 | 0.0024 people per person | -12.7% |
| 1980 | 0.0024 people per person | -3.0% |
| 1981 | 0.0026 people per person | +7.7% |
| 1982 | 0.0025 people per person | -3.4% |
| 1983 | 0.0024 people per person | -4.7% |
| 1984 | 0.0029 people per person | +21.7% |
| 1985 | 0.0027 people per person | -5.3% |
| 1986 | 0.0025 people per person | -8.2% |
| 1987 | 0.0027 people per person | +9.9% |
| 1988 | 0.0026 people per person | -4.9% |
| 1989 | 0.0025 people per person | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 0.0021 people per person | -17.3% |
| 1991 | 0.0019 people per person | -8.0% |
| 1992 | 0.0018 people per person | -7.9% |
| 1993 | 0.0017 people per person | -2.0% |
| 1994 | 0.0017 people per person | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 0.0017 people per person | -1.2% |
| 1996 | 0.0017 people per person | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 0.0016 people per person | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 0.0016 people per person | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 0.0015 people per person | -10.3% |
| 2000 | 0.0013 people per person | -8.2% |
| 2001 | 0.0013 people per person | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 0.0012 people per person | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 0.0012 people per person | -7.6% |
| 2004 | 0.0011 people per person | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 0.0011 people per person | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 0.0011 people per person | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 0.0012 people per person | +9.6% |
| 2008 | 0.0012 people per person | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 0.0012 people per person | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 0.0012 people per person | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 0.0012 people per person | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 0.0012 people per person | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.0011 people per person | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 0.0011 people per person | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 0.0011 people per person | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 0.0012 people per person | +7.1% |
| 2017 | 0.0012 people per person | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.0011 people per person | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 0.0011 people per person | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 0.0012 people per person | +13.5% |
| 2021 | 0.0012 people per person | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 0.0012 people per person | -1.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.0012 people per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.003 people per person, 40% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.0012 people per person is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.0012 people per person, 95% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military personnel, per capita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | +81.9% | 0.0014 people per person | 0.0025 people per person |
| 1971 | +45.7% | 0.0018 people per person | 0.0026 people per person |
| 1973 | -48.2% | 0.0032 people per person | 0.0016 people per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.0022 people per person | 0.0013 people per person | 0.0029 people per person | 10 |
| 1970s | 0.0023 people per person | 0.0016 people per person | 0.0032 people per person | 10 |
| 1980s | 0.0026 people per person | 0.0024 people per person | 0.0029 people per person | 10 |
| 1990s | 0.0017 people per person | 0.0015 people per person | 0.0021 people per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0012 people per person | 0.0011 people per person | 0.0013 people per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.0011 people per person | 0.0011 people per person | 0.0012 people per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0012 people per person | 0.0012 people per person | 0.0012 people per person | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 135 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.0013 people per person compare
- 136 Niger 0.0013 people per person compare
- 137 Philippines 0.0013 people per person compare
- 139 Sierra Leone 0.0011 people per person compare
- 140 Libya 0.0011 people per person compare
- 141 Yemen 0.001 people per person compare
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 military personnel, per capita in South Africa?
- Military personnel, per capita in South Africa was 0.0012 people per person in 2022, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest military personnel, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0032 people per person in 1972.
- What is the lowest military personnel, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0011 people per person in 2019.
- How does South Africa rank for military personnel, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 138th out of 193 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Military personnel, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Military personnel divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Military personnel ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Military personnel Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Military personnel divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.