China vs South Africa
China vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2.54 million people in China and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in China, by 2.45 million people, or 28 times that in South Africa.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, China ranked 2 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 | China | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2.54 million | 89,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 2.54 million | 90,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 2.7 million | 89,650 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 2.7 million | 80,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 2.7 million | 81,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 2.84 million | 82,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 2.99 million | 82,250 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 2.99 million | 77,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 2.99 million | 62,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 2.95 million | 77,580 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 2.95 million | 77,150 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 2.95 million | 77,150 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 2.89 million | 62,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 2.89 million | 62,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 3.61 million | 103,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 3.76 million | 56,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 3.76 million | 55,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 3.75 million | 55,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 3.77 million | 60,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 3.81 million | 67,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 3.91 million | 71,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 3.82 million | 78,150 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 3.82 million | 211,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 3.64 million | 217,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 4.14 million | 277,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 4.13 million | 276,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 2.93 million | 75,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 3.03 million | 75,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 3.16 million | 75,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 3.2 million | 80,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 3.5 million | 85,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 3.9 million | 100,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 3.9 million | 106,400 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 4.1 million | 97,000 | – |
| 1983 | 4.1 million | 77,000 | – |
| 1982 | 4.35 million | 78,000 | – |
| 1981 | 4.75 million | 78,000 | – |
| 1980 | 4.65 million | 70,000 | – |
| 1979 | 4.6 million | 70,000 | – |
| 1978 | 4.5 million | 78,000 | – |
| 1977 | 4.3 million | 67,000 | – |
| 1976 | 4.3 million | 59,000 | – |
| 1975 | 4.3 million | 50,000 | – |
| 1974 | 4.3 million | 45,000 | – |
| 1973 | 3.25 million | 40,000 | – |
| 1972 | 3.04 million | 75,000 | – |
| 1971 | 2.97 million | 60,000 | – |
| 1970 | 2.85 million | 40,000 | – |
| 1969 | 2.83 million | 55,000 | – |
| 1968 | 2.8 million | 55,000 | – |
| 1967 | 2.71 million | 50,000 | – |
| 1966 | 2.6 million | 50,000 | – |
| 1965 | 2.4 million | 55,000 | – |
| 1964 | 2.75 million | 50,000 | – |
| 1963 | 2.5 million | 45,000 | – |
| 1962 | 2.3 million | 24,000 | – |
| 1961 | 2.2 million | 24,000 | – |
| 1960 | 3.23 million | 22,000 | – |
| 1959 | 3.21 million | 21,000 | – |
| 1958 | 3.18 million | 20,000 | – |
| 1957 | 3.16 million | 19,000 | – |
| 1956 | 3.13 million | 17,000 | – |
| 1955 | 3 million | 16,000 | – |
| 1954 | 3.08 million | 15,000 | – |
| 1953 | 3.05 million | 14,000 | – |
| 1952 | 3.03 million | 13,000 | – |
| 1951 | 3 million | 11,000 | – |
| 1950 | 4 million | 10,000 | – |
| 1949 | 2.57 million | 9,000 | – |
| 1948 | 3.69 million | 10,000 | – |
| 1947 | 4.02 million | 30,000 | – |
| 1946 | 4.16 million | 40,000 | – |
| 1945 | 4.78 million | – | – |
| 1944 | 4.23 million | 140,000 | – |
| 1943 | 3.68 million | 140,000 | – |
| 1942 | 3.13 million | – | – |
| 1941 | 2.58 million | 120,000 | – |
| 1940 | 2.04 million | – | – |
| 1939 | 1.49 million | 5,000 | – |
| 1938 | 900,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1937 | 2 million | 4,000 | – |
| 1936 | 1.7 million | 4,000 | – |
| 1935 | 1.7 million | 4,000 | – |
| 1934 | 1.7 million | 3,000 | – |
| 1933 | 1.7 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1932 | 1.7 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1931 | 1.7 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1930 | 1.7 million | 1,000 | – |
| 1929 | 1.7 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1928 | 1.7 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1927 | 1.7 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1926 | 1.7 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1925 | 1.7 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1924 | 1.7 million | – | – |
| 1923 | 1.63 million | 2,000 | – |
| 1922 | 1.57 million | – | – |
| 1921 | 1.5 million | – | – |
| 1920 | 1.44 million | – | – |
| 1919 | 1.38 million | – | – |
| 1918 | 1.3 million | – | – |
| 1917 | 900,000 | – | – |
| 1916 | 850,000 | – | – |
| 1915 | 500,000 | – | – |
| 1914 | 460,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 450,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 450,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1910 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1909 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1908 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1907 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1906 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1905 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1904 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1903 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1902 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1901 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1900 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1899 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1898 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1897 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1896 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1895 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1894 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1893 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1892 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1891 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1890 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1889 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1888 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1887 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1886 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1885 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1884 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1883 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1882 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1881 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1880 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1879 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1878 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1877 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1876 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1875 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1874 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1873 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1872 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1871 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1870 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1869 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1868 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1867 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1866 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1865 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1864 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1863 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1862 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1861 | 1 million | – | – |
| 1860 | 1 million | – | – |
- 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
China vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025