Canada vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 72,000 people in Canada and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 17,000 people, or 1.24 times that in Canada.
CanadaSouth Africa
Watch it change on the mapLatest figures
people · IISS
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canada | 72,000 2020 | 65,700 | 58 of 170 |
| South Africa | 89,000 2020 | 77,150 | 54 of 170 |
| World | 27.4 million 2020 | 28.1 million |
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2013, when it overtook Canada.
- In 2020, Canada ranked 58 and South Africa ranked 54 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Canada | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 72,000 | 89,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 72,000 | 90,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 72,400 | 89,650 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 72,000 | 80,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 67,500 | 81,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 67,500 | 82,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 70,200 | 82,250 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 65,700 | 77,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 66,000 | 62,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 65,700 | 77,580 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 65,700 | 77,150 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 65,720 | 77,150 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 64,000 | 62,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 64,000 | 62,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 64,000 | 103,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 71,000 | 56,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 71,000 | 55,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 61,600 | 55,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 61,600 | 60,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 66,100 | 67,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 68,500 | 71,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 69,950 | 78,150 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 69,950 | 211,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 72,700 | 217,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 79,800 | 277,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 75,700 | 276,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 75,000 | 75,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 76,000 | 75,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 82,000 | 75,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 86,000 | 80,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 87,000 | 85,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 88,000 | 100,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 83,000 | 106,400 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 82,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1983 | 81,000 | 77,000 | – |
| 1982 | 81,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1981 | 81,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1980 | 82,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1979 | 79,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1978 | 79,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1977 | 78,000 | 67,000 | – |
| 1976 | 78,000 | 59,000 | – |
| 1975 | 78,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1974 | 82,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1973 | 82,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1972 | 90,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1971 | 85,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1970 | 95,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1969 | 100,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1968 | 105,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1967 | 105,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1966 | 110,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1965 | 120,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1964 | 120,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1963 | 120,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1962 | 124,000 | 24,000 | – |
| 1961 | 124,000 | 24,000 | – |
| 1960 | 121,000 | 22,000 | – |
| 1959 | 120,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1958 | 119,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1957 | 121,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1956 | 116,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1955 | 112,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1954 | 108,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1953 | 104,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1952 | 102,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1951 | 62,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1950 | 45,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1949 | 47,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1948 | 40,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1947 | 43,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1946 | 46,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1945 | 801,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 728,000 | 140,000 | – |
| 1943 | 740,000 | 140,000 | – |
| 1942 | 400,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 280,000 | 120,000 | – |
| 1940 | 21,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 6,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1938 | 6,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1937 | 6,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1936 | 6,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1935 | 4,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1934 | 5,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1933 | 5,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1932 | 5,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1931 | 6,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1930 | 5,000 | 1,000 | – |
| 1929 | 4,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1928 | 5,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1927 | 4,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1926 | 4,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1925 | 4,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1924 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 4,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1922 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 4,000 | – | – |
- 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.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time