Burkina Faso vs South Africa
Burkina Faso vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 11,000 people in Burkina Faso and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 78,000 people, or 8.09 times that in Burkina Faso.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Burkina Faso | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 11,000 | 89,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 11,000 | 90,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 11,200 | 89,650 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 11,000 | 80,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 11,450 | 81,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 11,450 | 82,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 11,450 | 82,250 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 11,450 | 77,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 11,450 | 62,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 11,450 | 77,580 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 11,450 | 77,150 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 11,450 | 77,150 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 11,250 | 62,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 11,250 | 62,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | – | 103,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 11,250 | 56,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 10,250 | 55,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 15,000 | 55,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 14,400 | 60,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 14,200 | 67,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 11,300 | 71,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 10,300 | 78,150 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 10,250 | 211,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 10,000 | 217,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 10,300 | 277,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 10,300 | 276,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 9,000 | 75,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 9,000 | 75,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 9,000 | 75,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 10,000 | 80,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 10,000 | 85,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 8,000 | 100,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 4,000 | 106,400 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 9,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1983 | 9,000 | 77,000 | – |
| 1982 | 9,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1981 | 8,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1980 | 5,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1979 | 4,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1978 | 6,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1977 | 6,000 | 67,000 | – |
| 1976 | 10,000 | 59,000 | – |
| 1975 | 5,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1974 | 5,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1973 | 5,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1972 | 5,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1971 | 4,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1970 | 4,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1969 | 4,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1968 | 3,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1967 | 3,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1966 | 3,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1965 | 3,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1964 | 3,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1963 | 2,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1962 | 0 | 24,000 | – |
| 1961 | 0 | 24,000 | – |
| 1960 | 0 | 22,000 | – |
| 1959 | – | 21,000 | – |
| 1958 | – | 20,000 | – |
| 1957 | – | 19,000 | – |
| 1956 | – | 17,000 | – |
| 1955 | – | 16,000 | – |
| 1954 | – | 15,000 | – |
| 1953 | – | 14,000 | – |
| 1952 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1951 | – | 11,000 | – |
| 1950 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1949 | – | 9,000 | – |
| 1948 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1947 | – | 30,000 | – |
| 1946 | – | 40,000 | – |
| 1944 | – | 140,000 | – |
| 1943 | – | 140,000 | – |
| 1941 | – | 120,000 | – |
| 1939 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1938 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1937 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1936 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1935 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1934 | – | 3,000 | – |
| 1933 | – | 2,000 | – |
| 1932 | – | 2,000 | – |
| 1931 | – | 2,000 | – |
| 1930 | – | 1,000 | – |
| 1929 | – | 2,000 | – |
| 1928 | – | 2,000 | – |
| 1927 | – | 2,000 | – |
| 1926 | – | 2,000 | – |
| 1925 | – | 2,000 | – |
| 1923 | – | 2,000 | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: 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 170 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
Burkina Faso vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyBurkina Faso: 61.1 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBurkina Faso: 7.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBurkina Faso: 52.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBurkina Faso: 3.69% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateBurkina Faso: 13.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBurkina Faso: 23 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthBurkina Faso: 2.26% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBurkina Faso: 4.19 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBurkina Faso: 28.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageBurkina Faso: 17.3 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBurkina Faso: 2.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBurkina Faso: -1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personBurkina Faso: $787 in 2025South Africa: $5,713 in 2025
- GDP growthBurkina Faso: 5.3% a year in 2025South Africa: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationBurkina Faso: -0.6% a year in 2025South Africa: 3.2% a year in 2025
- Government debtBurkina Faso: 53.2% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 76% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBurkina Faso: 3.3% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBurkina Faso: $844M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personBurkina Faso: $37 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBurkina Faso: 13.2% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- National powerBurkina Faso: 0.09% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBurkina Faso: 0.12% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBurkina Faso: 34 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025