Namibia vs South Africa
Namibia vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 16,000 people in Namibia and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 73,000 people, or 5.56 times that in Namibia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1991.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Namibia | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 16,000 | 89,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 16,000 | 90,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 15,900 | 89,650 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 16,000 | 80,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 15,900 | 81,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 15,200 | 82,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 15,200 | 82,250 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 15,200 | 77,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 15,200 | 62,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 15,200 | 77,580 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 15,200 | 77,150 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 15,200 | 77,150 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 15,000 | 62,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 15,000 | 62,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 15,000 | 103,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 15,000 | 56,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 15,000 | 55,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 15,000 | 55,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 15,000 | 60,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 15,000 | 67,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 9,100 | 71,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 9,100 | 78,150 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 9,100 | 211,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 5,900 | 217,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 8,200 | 277,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 8,100 | 276,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 8,000 | 75,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 8,000 | 75,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 8,000 | 75,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 8,000 | 80,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 10,000 | 85,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | – | 100,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | – | 106,400 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | – | 97,000 | – |
| 1983 | – | 77,000 | – |
| 1982 | – | 78,000 | – |
| 1981 | – | 78,000 | – |
| 1980 | – | 70,000 | – |
| 1979 | – | 70,000 | – |
| 1978 | – | 78,000 | – |
| 1977 | – | 67,000 | – |
| 1976 | – | 59,000 | – |
| 1975 | – | 50,000 | – |
| 1974 | – | 45,000 | – |
| 1973 | – | 40,000 | – |
| 1972 | – | 75,000 | – |
| 1971 | – | 60,000 | – |
| 1970 | – | 40,000 | – |
| 1969 | – | 55,000 | – |
| 1968 | – | 55,000 | – |
| 1967 | – | 50,000 | – |
| 1966 | – | 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
Namibia vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyNamibia: 67.4 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNamibia: 4 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNamibia: 27.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionNamibia: 3.46% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateNamibia: 11.8 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNamibia: 2.96 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthNamibia: 2.37% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNamibia: 3.21 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNamibia: 50.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageNamibia: 21 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNamibia: 3.6% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateNamibia: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNamibia: 2.77% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNamibia: $386M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personNamibia: $134 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNamibia: 7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- National powerNamibia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNamibia: 1.67% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNamibia: 0 TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025