Brazil vs South Africa: Armed forces, share of workers

Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.76% of the labour force in Brazil and 0.4% of the labour force in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Brazil, by 0.36 percentage points, or 1.91 times that in South Africa.

BrazilSouth Africa

Watch it change on the map

% of the labour force · IISS

BrazilSouth AfricaWorld

Latest figures

% of the labour force · IISS

Country	Latest	10 years before	Rank in 2020
Brazil	0.76 2020	0.74	90 of 168
South Africa	0.4 2020	0.4	131 of 168
World	0.79 2020	0.89

What the numbers say

Brazil has been higher since 1999, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2020, Brazil ranked 90 and South Africa ranked 131 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.

Every year

% of the labour force · IISS

Year	Brazil	South Africa	World
2020	0.76	0.4	0.79
2019	0.72	0.38	0.79
2018	0.73	0.38	0.8
2017	0.71	0.35	0.8
2016	0.72	0.36	0.81
2015	0.73	0.37	0.82
2014	0.74	0.39	0.82
2013	0.73	0.37	0.83
2012	0.74	0.31	0.87
2011	0.74	0.4	0.88
2010	0.74	0.4	0.89
2009	0.74	0.39	0.89
2008	0.76	0.31	0.89
2007	0.77	0.31	0.89
2006	0.81	0.53	0.95
2005	0.73	0.29	0.96
2004	0.77	0.29	0.94
2003	0.78	0.3	0.98
2002	0.79	0.33	1
2001	0.82	0.37	1.01
2000	0.84	0.41	1.07
1999	0.86	0.45	1.09
1998	0.92	1.25	1.13
1997	0.95	1.31	1.15
1996	0.96	1.7	1.18
1995	0.95	1.71	1.2
1994	0.43	0.47	0.94
1993	0.44	0.48	0.98
1992	0.45	0.49	1.03
1991	0.46	0.53	1.03
1990	0.47	0.58	1.11

Each country on its own

Good to know

Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
Ranks count the 168 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.

How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time