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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — South Africa

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in South Africa in 2022 — 74,000 people. Ranked 51 in the world out of 189. Since 1923, the indicator has risen by 3,600%.

2022 74,000 people +0% vs 2021
World rank 51of 189
Period maximum 140,000 people1943
Period minimum 1,000 people1930

Trend over time

1923–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — South Africa, 1923–2022050,000100,000150,000192319331943195319631973198319932003201320221923: 2,000 people1926: 2,000 people1928: 2,000 people1930: 1,000 people1932: 2,000 people1934: 3,000 people1936: 4,000 people1938: 4,000 people1941: 120,000 people1944: 140,000 people1947: 30,000 people1949: 9,000 people1951: 11,000 people1953: 14,000 people1955: 16,000 people1957: 19,000 people1959: 21,000 people1961: 24,000 people1963: 45,000 people1965: 55,000 people1967: 50,000 people1969: 55,000 people1971: 60,000 people1973: 40,000 people1975: 50,000 people1977: 67,000 people1979: 70,000 people1981: 78,000 people1983: 77,000 people1985: 95,000 people1987: 102,000 people1989: 100,000 people1991: 80,000 people1993: 75,000 people1995: 75,000 people1997: 75,000 people1999: 68,000 people2001: 62,000 people2003: 56,000 people2005: 56,000 people2007: 62,000 people2009: 62,000 people2011: 62,000 people2013: 62,000 people2015: 62,000 people2017: 67,000 people2019: 65,000 people2021: 74,000 people2022: 74,000 people
Change over the period: +72,000 (+3,600%) Average annual rate: 3.71 %

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: South Africa

South Africa 74,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Sub-Saharan Africa computed 1.97M people
Southern Africa computed 95,000 people
Upper-middle-income countries computed 5.23M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — South Africa, by year South Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 74,000 +0 +0%
2021 74,000 −1,000 −1.33%
2020 75,000 +10,000 +15.38%
2019 65,000 −1,000 −1.52%
2018 66,000 −1,000 −1.49%
2017 67,000 +0 +0%
2016 67,000 +5,000 +8.06%
2015 62,000 +0 +0%
2014 62,000 +0 +0%
2013 62,000 +0 +0%
2012 62,000 +0 +0%
2011 62,000 +0 +0%
2010 62,000 +0 +0%
2009 62,000 +0 +0%
2008 62,000 +0 +0%
2007 62,000 +6,000 +10.71%
2006 56,000 +0 +0%
2005 56,000 +0 +0%
2004 56,000 +0 +0%
2003 56,000 −4,000 −6.67%
2002 60,000 −2,000 −3.23%
2001 62,000 −1,000 −1.59%
2000 63,000 −5,000 −7.35%
1999 68,000 −7,000 −9.33%
1998 75,000 +0 +0%
1997 75,000 +0 +0%
1996 75,000 +0 +0%
1995 75,000 +0 +0%
1994 75,000 +0 +0%
1993 75,000 +0 +0%
1992 75,000 −5,000 −6.25%
1991 80,000 −5,000 −5.88%
1990 85,000 −15,000 −15%
1989 100,000 +0 +0%
1988 100,000 −2,000 −1.96%
1987 102,000 +12,000 +13.33%
1986 90,000 −5,000 −5.26%
1985 95,000 −2,000 −2.06%
1984 97,000 +20,000 +25.97%
1983 77,000 −1,000 −1.28%
1982 78,000 +0 +0%
1981 78,000 +8,000 +11.43%
1980 70,000 +0 +0%
1979 70,000 −8,000 −10.26%
1978 78,000 +11,000 +16.42%
1977 67,000 +8,000 +13.56%
1976 59,000 +9,000 +18%
1975 50,000 +5,000 +11.11%
1974 45,000 +5,000 +12.5%
1973 40,000 −35,000 −46.67%
1972 75,000 +15,000 +25%
1971 60,000 +20,000 +50%
1970 40,000 −15,000 −27.27%
1969 55,000 +0 +0%
1968 55,000 +5,000 +10%
1967 50,000 +0 +0%
1966 50,000 −5,000 −9.09%
1965 55,000 +5,000 +10%
1964 50,000 +5,000 +11.11%
1963 45,000 +21,000 +87.5%
1962 24,000 +0 +0%
1961 24,000 +2,000 +9.09%
1960 22,000 +1,000 +4.76%
1959 21,000 +1,000 +5%
1958 20,000 +1,000 +5.26%
1957 19,000 +2,000 +11.76%
1956 17,000 +1,000 +6.25%
1955 16,000 +1,000 +6.67%
1954 15,000 +1,000 +7.14%
1953 14,000 +1,000 +7.69%
1952 13,000 +2,000 +18.18%
1951 11,000 +1,000 +10%
1950 10,000 +1,000 +11.11%
1949 9,000 −1,000 −10%
1948 10,000 −20,000 −66.67%
1947 30,000 −10,000 −25%
1946 40,000 — —
1944 140,000 +0 +0%
1943 140,000 — —
1941 120,000 — —
1939 5,000 +1,000 +25%
1938 4,000 +0 +0%
1937 4,000 +0 +0%
1936 4,000 +0 +0%
1935 4,000 +1,000 +33.33%
1934 3,000 +1,000 +50%
1933 2,000 +0 +0%
1932 2,000 +0 +0%
1931 2,000 +1,000 +100%
1930 1,000 −1,000 −50%
1929 2,000 +0 +0%
1928 2,000 +0 +0%
1927 2,000 +0 +0%
1926 2,000 +0 +0%
1925 2,000 — —
1923 2,000 — —

Southern Africa, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

ZA South Africa 74,000 NA Namibia 10,000 BW Botswana 9,000 LS Lesotho 2,000
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

The number of military personnel on active duty. The series was assembled by the Correlates of War project and continued with data of the International Institute for Strategic Studies; unlike the World Bank series, which begins in 1985, it reaches 1816 and makes military buildup over two centuries visible — including both world wars.

Important: Over two hundred years borders and the composition of countries changed, so the series before the middle of the 20th century refers to the territory of the time: comparing adjacent years is reliable, comparing 1830 with 2020 only loosely so.

Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.

Other indicators for South Africa

Defense Armed forces personnel

The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.

South Africa by year Defense Armed forces as a share of the population

What share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.

South Africa by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

South Africa by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

South Africa by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

South Africa by year Defense Arms exports

Transfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).

South Africa by year
All indicators for South Africa