Police officers per 1000 people in South Africa

South Africa: Police officers per 1000 people was 3.23 in 2002. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2002)
3.23
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
71st
of 103 countries
All-time high
4.63
in 1995
All-time low
1.13
in 1978
Years of data
13
1975–2002

Police officers per 1000 people in South Africa, 1975–2002

123451975198820021975: 1.11976: 1.11977: 1.11978: 1.11979: 1.11980: 1.21995: 4.61997: 4.21998: 4.11999: 3.92000: 3.82001: 3.22002: 3.2

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2002, police officers per 1000 people in South Africa stood at 3.23.

The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 30.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, police officers per 1000 people in South Africa peaked at 4.63 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 1.13, in 1978.

That places South Africa 71st out of 103 countries with data for 2002, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Police officers per 1000 people in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Police officers per 1000 people in South Africa, 1975 to 2002.
Year Value Change
1975 1.14
1976 1.14 -0.1%
1977 1.14 +0.3%
1978 1.13 -1.1%
1979 1.14 +1.0%
1980 1.16 +1.5%
1995 4.63 +300.0%
1997 4.23 -8.8%
1998 4.07 -3.6%
1999 3.92 -3.8%
2000 3.79 -3.3%
2001 3.22 -15.1%
2002 3.23 +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.14 1.13 1.14 5
1980s 1.16 1.16 1.16 1
1990s 4.21 3.92 4.63 4
2000s 3.41 3.22 3.79 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 68 Paraguay 3.45
  2. 69 Fiji 3.39 compare
  3. 70 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 3.3 compare
  4. 72 Switzerland 3.19 compare
  5. 73 Nepal 3.17 compare
  6. 74 Zimbabwe 3.13 compare

See the full ranking of 103 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is police officers per 1000 people in South Africa?
Police officers per 1000 people in South Africa was 3.23 in 2002, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest police officers per 1000 people recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 4.63 in 1995.
What is the lowest police officers per 1000 people recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.13 in 1978.
How does South Africa rank for police officers per 1000 people?
South Africa ranks 71st out of 103 countries with data for 2002.
Is police officers per 1000 people rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 30.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Police officers per 1000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Police officers per 1000 people in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/police-officers-per-1000-people/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Police officers per 1000 people
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
103 places, 1,617 data points, 1973–2015
Last refreshed