Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: National power
National power in 2022: 1.34% of world capability in Saudi Arabia and 0.55% of world capability in South Africa, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in Saudi Arabia, by 0.8 percentage points, or 2.45 times that in South Africa.
Saudi ArabiaSouth Africa
Watch it change on the map% of world capability · Correlates of War
Latest figures
% of world capability · Correlates of War
| Country | Latest | 10 years before | Rank in 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia | 1.34 2022 | 1.39 | 13 of 195 |
| South Africa | 0.55 2022 | 0.68 | 33 of 195 |
What the numbers say
- Saudi Arabia has been higher since 1990, when it overtook South Africa.
- In 2022, Saudi Arabia ranked 13 and South Africa ranked 33 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.
Every year
% of world capability · Correlates of War
| Year | Saudi Arabia | South Africa |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.34 | 0.55 |
| 2021 | 1.23 | 0.56 |
| 2020 | 1.25 | 0.57 |
| 2019 | 1.53 | 0.59 |
| 2018 | 1.67 | 0.59 |
| 2017 | 1.61 | 0.6 |
| 2016 | 1.47 | 0.64 |
| 2015 | 1.72 | 0.65 |
| 2014 | 1.65 | 0.66 |
| 2013 | 1.41 | 0.67 |
| 2012 | 1.39 | 0.68 |
| 2011 | 1.28 | 0.69 |
| 2010 | 1.28 | 0.69 |
| 2009 | 1.24 | 0.72 |
| 2008 | 1.19 | 0.72 |
| 2007 | 1.19 | 0.74 |
| 2006 | 1.15 | 0.75 |
| 2005 | 1.12 | 0.77 |
| 2004 | 1.04 | 0.79 |
| 2003 | 1.02 | 0.79 |
| 2002 | 1.06 | 0.78 |
| 2001 | 1.17 | 0.75 |
| 2000 | 1.12 | 0.74 |
| 1999 | 1.08 | 0.74 |
| 1998 | 1.07 | 0.76 |
| 1997 | 0.99 | 0.79 |
| 1996 | 1 | 0.79 |
| 1995 | 0.96 | 0.82 |
| 1994 | 0.93 | 0.83 |
| 1993 | 1.02 | 0.83 |
| 1992 | 0.92 | 0.82 |
| 1991 | 1.29 | 0.84 |
| 1990 | 0.95 | 0.8 |
| 1989 | 0.75 | 0.83 |
| 1988 | 0.67 | 0.8 |
| 1987 | 0.71 | 0.82 |
| 1986 | 0.74 | 0.8 |
| 1985 | 0.74 | 0.81 |
| 1984 | 0.79 | 0.8 |
| 1983 | 0.76 | 0.8 |
| 1982 | 0.88 | 0.81 |
| 1981 | 0.9 | 0.81 |
| 1980 | 0.78 | 0.78 |
| 1979 | 0.7 | 0.74 |
| 1978 | 0.6 | 0.74 |
| 1977 | 0.55 | 0.72 |
| 1976 | 0.51 | 0.7 |
| 1975 | 0.38 | 0.68 |
| 1974 | 0.3 | 0.63 |
| 1973 | 0.28 | 0.6 |
| 1972 | 0.25 | 0.62 |
| 1971 | 0.24 | 0.61 |
| 1970 | 0.23 | 0.59 |
| 1969 | 0.21 | 0.59 |
| 1968 | 0.21 | 0.59 |
| 1967 | 0.24 | 0.54 |
| 1966 | 0.17 | 0.52 |
| 1965 | 0.17 | 0.54 |
| 1964 | 0.16 | 0.53 |
| 1963 | 0.15 | 0.52 |
| 1962 | 0.16 | 0.5 |
| 1961 | 0.15 | 0.49 |
| 1960 | 0.14 | 0.47 |
| 1959 | 0.13 | 0.47 |
| 1958 | 0.15 | 0.49 |
| 1957 | 0.14 | 0.48 |
| 1956 | 0.16 | 0.47 |
| 1955 | 0.17 | 0.48 |
| 1954 | 0.18 | 0.51 |
| 1953 | 0.14 | 0.5 |
| 1952 | 0.13 | 0.52 |
| 1951 | 0.12 | 0.51 |
| 1950 | 0.14 | 0.5 |
| 1949 | 0.13 | 0.52 |
| 1948 | 0.11 | 0.52 |
| 1947 | 0.18 | 0.56 |
| 1946 | 0.18 | 0.63 |
| 1945 | 0.09 | 0.64 |
| 1944 | 0.07 | 0.58 |
| 1943 | 0.06 | 0.57 |
| 1942 | 0.06 | 0.63 |
| 1941 | 0.06 | 0.57 |
| 1940 | 0.06 | 0.54 |
| 1939 | 0.06 | 0.43 |
| 1938 | 0.05 | 0.44 |
| 1937 | 0.05 | 0.41 |
| 1936 | 0.05 | 0.41 |
| 1935 | 0.05 | 0.4 |
| 1934 | 0.05 | 0.36 |
| 1933 | 0.04 | 0.35 |
| 1932 | 0.05 | 0.36 |
| 1931 | 0.04 | 0.35 |
| 1930 | 0.04 | 0.34 |
| 1929 | 0.04 | 0.34 |
| 1928 | 0.04 | 0.35 |
| 1927 | 0.04 | 0.36 |
| 1926 | – | 0.37 |
| 1925 | – | 0.36 |
| 1924 | – | 0.42 |
| 1923 | – | 0.34 |
| 1922 | – | 0.38 |
| 1921 | – | 0.43 |
| 1920 | – | 0.39 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The Correlates of War’s Composite Index of National Capability: the country’s share of the world’s military spending, soldiers, iron and steel, energy use, people and city dwellers, averaged.
- Source: 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 195 countries with a value in 2022, highest first.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time