Rwanda vs South Africa
Rwanda vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 35,000 people in Rwanda and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 54,000 people, or 2.54 times that in Rwanda.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2004, when it overtook Rwanda.
- In 2020, Rwanda ranked 84 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 | Rwanda | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 35,000 | 89,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 35,000 | 90,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 35,000 | 89,650 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 35,000 | 80,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 35,000 | 81,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 35,000 | 82,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 35,000 | 82,250 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 35,000 | 77,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 35,000 | 62,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 35,000 | 77,580 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 35,000 | 77,150 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 35,000 | 77,150 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 35,000 | 62,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 35,000 | 62,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | – | 103,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 53,000 | 56,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 53,000 | 55,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 61,000 | 55,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 80,000 | 60,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 79,000 | 67,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 76,000 | 71,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 54,000 | 78,150 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 54,000 | 211,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 62,000 | 217,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 40,000 | 277,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 47,000 | 276,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 30,000 | 75,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 30,000 | 75,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 30,000 | 75,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 30,000 | 80,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 6,000 | 85,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 6,000 | 100,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 5,200 | 106,400 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 5,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1983 | 5,000 | 77,000 | – |
| 1982 | 5,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1981 | 5,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1980 | 5,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1979 | 4,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1978 | 4,000 | 78,000 | – |
| 1977 | 4,000 | 67,000 | – |
| 1976 | 4,000 | 59,000 | – |
| 1975 | 4,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1974 | 4,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1973 | 4,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1972 | 4,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1971 | 4,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1970 | 4,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1969 | 4,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1968 | 4,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1967 | 3,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1966 | 3,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1965 | 2,000 | 55,000 | – |
| 1964 | 2,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1963 | 1,000 | 45,000 | – |
| 1962 | 1,000 | 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
Rwanda vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyRwanda: 67.8 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityRwanda: 3.8 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityRwanda: 27.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionRwanda: 3.87% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateRwanda: 11 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationRwanda: 14 million people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthRwanda: 2.18% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateRwanda: 3.7 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationRwanda: 30.9% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageRwanda: 19.4 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overRwanda: 3.8% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateRwanda: -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingRwanda: 1.29% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsRwanda: $194M in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personRwanda: $13 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingRwanda: 4.7% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- National powerRwanda: 0.07% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersRwanda: 0.7% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsRwanda: 37 million TIV in 2023South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025