Congo - Kinshasa vs South Africa
Congo - Kinshasa vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 134,000 people in Congo - Kinshasa and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Congo - Kinshasa, by 45,000 people, or 1.51 times that in South Africa.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Congo - Kinshasa has been higher since 1999, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2020, Congo - Kinshasa ranked 46 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 | Congo - Kinshasa | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 134,000 | 89,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 134,000 | 90,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 134,300 | 89,650 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 134,000 | 80,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 134,300 | 81,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 134,300 | 82,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 134,300 | 82,250 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 134,300 | 77,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 134,300 | 62,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 134,300 | 77,580 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 159,000 | 77,150 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 159,000 | 77,150 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 151,000 | 62,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 143,000 | 62,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | – | 103,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 65,000 | 56,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 64,000 | 55,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 97,800 | 55,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 81,400 | 60,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 81,400 | 67,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 92,900 | 71,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 92,900 | 78,150 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 87,000 | 211,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 77,000 | 217,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 65,100 | 277,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 65,100 | 276,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 40,000 | 75,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 40,000 | 75,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 45,000 | 75,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 60,000 | 80,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 55,000 | 85,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 51,000 | 100,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 48,000 | 106,400 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 60,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1983 | 42,000 | 77,000 | – |
| 1982 | 40,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1981 | 44,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1980 | 26,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1979 | 23,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1978 | 53,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1977 | 53,000 | 67,000 | – |
| 1976 | 55,000 | 59,000 | – |
| 1975 | 55,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1974 | 60,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1973 | 65,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1972 | 45,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1971 | 45,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1970 | 45,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1969 | 45,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1968 | 30,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1967 | 35,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1966 | 25,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1965 | 25,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1964 | 25,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1963 | 25,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1962 | 20,000 | 24,000 | – |
| 1961 | 18,000 | 24,000 | – |
| 1960 | 25,000 | 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
Congo - Kinshasa vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyCongo - Kinshasa: 61.9 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCongo - Kinshasa: 9 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCongo - Kinshasa: 49.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCongo - Kinshasa: 3.96% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateCongo - Kinshasa: 11.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCongo - Kinshasa: 106 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthCongo - Kinshasa: 3.26% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCongo - Kinshasa: 6.05 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCongo - Kinshasa: 45.1% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageCongo - Kinshasa: 15.8 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCongo - Kinshasa: 3.1% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateCongo - Kinshasa: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personCongo - Kinshasa: $568 in 2025South Africa: $5,713 in 2025
- GDP growthCongo - Kinshasa: 8.5% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.1% a year in 2025
- InflationCongo - Kinshasa: 7.4% a year in 2025South Africa: 3.2% a year in 2025
- Government debtCongo - Kinshasa: 17.2% of GDP in 2023South Africa: 76% of GDP in 2024
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCongo - Kinshasa: 1.38% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCongo - Kinshasa: $1.08B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personCongo - Kinshasa: $11 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCongo - Kinshasa: 8.1% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- National powerCongo - Kinshasa: 0.59% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCongo - Kinshasa: 0.41% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCongo - Kinshasa: 44 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCongo - Kinshasa: 22 million TIV in 1997South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025
Climate
Technology and environment
- CO₂ per personCongo - Kinshasa: 0.06 tonnes in 2024South Africa: 6.88 tonnes in 2024
- Internet usersCongo - Kinshasa: 19.7% in 2024South Africa: 78.4% in 2024
- Access to electricityCongo - Kinshasa: 22.5% in 2024South Africa: 90.2% in 2024
- Forest areaCongo - Kinshasa: 61.5% in 2024South Africa: 18.8% in 2024