Ethiopia vs South Africa
Ethiopia vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 138,000 people in Ethiopia and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Ethiopia, by 49,000 people, or 1.55 times that in South Africa.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Ethiopia has been higher since 1999, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2020, Ethiopia ranked 44 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 | Ethiopia | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 138,000 | 89,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 138,000 | 90,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 138,000 | 89,650 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 138,000 | 80,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 138,000 | 81,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 138,000 | 82,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 138,000 | 82,250 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 138,000 | 77,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 138,000 | 62,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 138,000 | 77,580 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 138,000 | 77,150 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 138,000 | 77,150 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 138,000 | 62,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 138,000 | 62,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | – | 103,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 183,000 | 56,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 182,000 | 55,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 162,400 | 55,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 252,500 | 60,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 252,500 | 67,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 352,500 | 71,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 325,500 | 78,150 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 120,000 | 211,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 120,000 | 217,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 120,000 | 277,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 120,000 | 276,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 120,000 | 75,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 120,000 | 75,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 120,000 | 75,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 120,000 | 80,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 250,000 | 85,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 250,000 | 100,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 217,000 | 106,400 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 190,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1983 | 240,000 | 77,000 | – |
| 1982 | 240,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1981 | 240,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1980 | 250,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1979 | 250,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1978 | 233,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1977 | 225,000 | 67,000 | – |
| 1976 | 65,000 | 59,000 | – |
| 1975 | 50,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1974 | 45,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1973 | 50,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1972 | 50,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1971 | 45,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1970 | 45,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1969 | 45,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1968 | 45,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1967 | 45,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1966 | 40,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1965 | 60,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1964 | 60,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1963 | 55,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1962 | 30,000 | 24,000 | – |
| 1961 | 27,000 | 24,000 | – |
| 1960 | 29,000 | 22,000 | – |
| 1959 | 29,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1958 | 36,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1957 | 32,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1956 | 28,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1955 | 24,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1954 | 20,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1953 | 20,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1952 | 20,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1951 | 20,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1950 | 20,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1949 | 10,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1948 | 10,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1947 | 10,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1946 | 10,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1944 | – | 140,000 | – |
| 1943 | – | 140,000 | – |
| 1941 | – | 120,000 | – |
| 1939 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1938 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1937 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1936 | 500,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1935 | 100,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1934 | 100,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1933 | 100,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1932 | 100,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1931 | 100,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1930 | 100,000 | 1,000 | – |
| 1929 | 100,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1928 | 100,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1927 | 100,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1926 | 100,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1925 | 100,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1924 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 100,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1922 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1919 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1918 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1917 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1916 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1915 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1914 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1910 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1909 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1908 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1907 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1906 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1905 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1904 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1903 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1902 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1901 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1900 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1899 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1898 | 150,000 | – | – |
- 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
Ethiopia vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyEthiopia: 67.3 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEthiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEthiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionEthiopia: 3.82% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateEthiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEthiopia: 129 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthEthiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEthiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEthiopia: 24.1% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageEthiopia: 18.7 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEthiopia: 3.2% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateEthiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEthiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsEthiopia: $785M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personEthiopia: $4 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingEthiopia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- National powerEthiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEthiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEthiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsEthiopia: 17 million TIV in 1997South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025