Lesotho vs South Africa
Lesotho vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2,000 people in Lesotho and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 87,000 people, or 45 times that in Lesotho.
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 | Lesotho | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,000 | 89,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 2,000 | 90,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 2,000 | 89,650 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 2,000 | 80,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 2,000 | 81,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 2,000 | 82,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 2,000 | 82,250 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 2,000 | 77,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 2,000 | 62,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 2,000 | 77,580 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 2,000 | 77,150 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 2,000 | 77,150 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 2,000 | 62,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 2,000 | 62,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 2,000 | 103,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 2,000 | 56,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 2,000 | 55,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 2,000 | 55,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 2,000 | 60,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 2,000 | 67,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 2,000 | 71,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 2,000 | 78,150 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 2,000 | 211,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 2,000 | 217,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 2,000 | 277,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 2,000 | 276,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 2,000 | 75,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 2,000 | 75,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 2,000 | 75,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 2,000 | 80,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 2,000 | 85,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 2,000 | 100,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 2,000 | 106,400 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 2,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1983 | 2,000 | 77,000 | – |
| 1982 | 2,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1981 | 2,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1980 | 1,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1979 | 1,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1978 | 1,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1977 | 1,000 | 67,000 | – |
| 1976 | 1,000 | 59,000 | – |
| 1975 | 1,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1974 | 1,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1973 | 0 | 40,000 | – |
| 1972 | 0 | 75,000 | – |
| 1971 | 0 | 60,000 | – |
| 1970 | 0 | 40,000 | – |
| 1969 | 0 | 55,000 | – |
| 1968 | 0 | 55,000 | – |
| 1967 | 0 | 50,000 | – |
| 1966 | 0 | 50,000 | – |
| 1965 | – | 55,000 | – |
| 1964 | – | 50,000 | – |
| 1963 | – | 45,000 | – |
| 1962 | – | 24,000 | – |
| 1961 | – | 24,000 | – |
| 1960 | – | 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
Lesotho vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyLesotho: 57.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityLesotho: 6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityLesotho: 56.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionLesotho: 5.64% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateLesotho: 31.7 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationLesotho: 2.31 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthLesotho: 1.12% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateLesotho: 2.69 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationLesotho: 44.7% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageLesotho: 21.4 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overLesotho: 3.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateLesotho: -2.2 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingLesotho: 1.63% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsLesotho: $37.3M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personLesotho: $17 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingLesotho: 2.7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- National powerLesotho: 0.01% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersLesotho: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsLesotho: 1 million TIV in 2019South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025