Belgium vs South Africa: National power

National power in 2022: 0.22% of world capability in Belgium and 0.55% of world capability in South Africa, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.33 percentage points, or 2.48 times that in Belgium.

Watch it change on the map

% of world capability · Correlates of War

BelgiumSouth Africa

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 1975, when it overtook Belgium.
In 2022, Belgium ranked 61 and South Africa ranked 33 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of world capability · Correlates of War

Year	Belgium	South Africa
2022	0.22	0.55
2021	0.23	0.56
2020	0.22	0.57
2019	0.24	0.59
2018	0.25	0.59
2017	0.26	0.6
2016	0.27	0.64
2015	0.27	0.65
2014	0.28	0.66
2013	0.28	0.67
2012	0.29	0.68
2011	0.31	0.69
2010	0.32	0.69
2009	0.31	0.72
2008	0.38	0.72
2007	0.38	0.74
2006	0.4	0.75
2005	0.4	0.77
2004	0.44	0.79
2003	0.46	0.79
2002	0.47	0.78
2001	0.44	0.75
2000	0.47	0.74
1999	0.48	0.74
1998	0.5	0.76
1997	0.48	0.79
1996	0.51	0.79
1995	0.52	0.82
1994	0.52	0.83
1993	0.52	0.83
1992	0.51	0.82
1991	0.54	0.84
1990	0.5	0.8
1989	0.5	0.83
1988	0.49	0.8
1987	0.5	0.82
1986	0.49	0.8
1985	0.49	0.81
1984	0.53	0.8
1983	0.53	0.8
1982	0.56	0.81
1981	0.62	0.81
1980	0.65	0.78
1979	0.67	0.74
1978	0.66	0.74
1977	0.65	0.72
1976	0.65	0.7
1975	0.65	0.68
1974	0.73	0.63
1973	0.74	0.6
1972	0.74	0.62
1971	0.7	0.61
1970	0.7	0.59
1969	0.73	0.59
1968	0.72	0.59
1967	0.67	0.54
1966	0.66	0.52
1965	0.71	0.54
1964	0.71	0.53
1963	0.7	0.52
1962	0.71	0.5
1961	0.71	0.49
1960	0.72	0.47
1959	0.73	0.47
1958	0.77	0.49
1957	0.77	0.48
1956	0.8	0.47
1955	0.79	0.48
1954	0.86	0.51
1953	0.8	0.5
1952	0.9	0.52
1951	0.92	0.51
1950	0.82	0.5
1949	0.94	0.52
1948	1.09	0.52
1947	1.05	0.56
1946	0.98	0.63
1945	0.48	0.64
1944	–	0.58
1943	–	0.57
1942	–	0.63
1941	–	0.57
1940	0.76	0.54
1939	0.96	0.43
1938	1.04	0.44
1937	1.17	0.41
1936	1.09	0.41
1935	1.18	0.4
1934	1.42	0.36
1933	1.52	0.35
1932	1.76	0.36
1931	1.6	0.35
1930	1.44	0.34
1929	1.38	0.34
1928	1.4	0.35
1927	1.42	0.36
1926	1.45	0.37
1925	1.36	0.36
1924	1.51	0.42
1923	1.42	0.34
1922	1.22	0.38
1921	1.06	0.43
1920	1.11	0.39
1919	0.9	–
1918	0.54	–
1917	0.55	–
1916	0.61	–
1915	0.57	–
1914	1.17	–
1913	1.38	–
1912	1.5	–
1911	1.5	–
1910	1.49	–
1909	1.45	–
1908	1.44	–
1907	1.46	–
1906	1.47	–
1905	1.4	–
1904	1.53	–
1903	1.5	–
1902	1.35	–
1901	1.24	–
1900	1.39	–
1899	1.47	–
1898	1.51	–
1897	1.62	–
1896	1.65	–
1895	1.6	–
1894	1.69	–
1893	1.64	–
1892	1.65	–
1891	1.62	–
1890	1.69	–
1889	1.78	–
1888	1.81	–
1887	1.81	–
1886	1.84	–
1885	1.91	–
1884	1.96	–
1883	1.97	–
1882	1.91	–
1881	1.87	–
1880	1.94	–
1879	1.92	–
1878	1.91	–
1877	1.91	–
1876	1.99	–
1875	2.1	–
1874	2.08	–
1873	2.13	–
1872	2.2	–
1871	2.2	–
1870	2.31	–
1869	2.19	–
1868	2.08	–
1867	2.19	–
1866	2.29	–
1865	2.23	–
1864	2.1	–
1863	2.08	–
1862	2.1	–
1861	2.12	–
1860	2.17	–
1859	2.47	–
1858	2.54	–
1857	2.41	–
1856	2.34	–
1855	2.39	–
1854	2.45	–
1853	2.51	–
1852	2.48	–
1851	2.45	–
1850	2.25	–
1849	2.27	–
1848	2.36	–
1847	2.71	–
1846	2.48	–
1845	2.4	–
1844	2.4	–
1843	2.42	–
1842	2.58	–
1841	2.53	–
1840	2.69	–
1839	2.98	–
1838	3.15	–
1837	3.31	–
1836	3.08	–
1835	2.99	–
1834	2.96	–
1833	3.18	–
1832	3.54	–
1831	3.53	–
1830	3.76	–

Each country on its own

Good to know

The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
Source: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
Ranks count the 195 countries with a value in 2022, highest first.

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Belgium vs South Africa: National power

What the numbers say

Every year

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