Singapore vs South Africa

Singapore vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 59,000 people in Singapore and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 30,000 people, or 1.51 times that in Singapore.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Singapore vs South Africa: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 59,000 people in Singapore and 89,000 people in South Africa, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 30,000 people, or 1.51 times that in Singapore.
SingaporeSouth AfricaEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • South Africa has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Singapore.
  • In 2020, Singapore ranked 65 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

YearSingaporeSouth AfricaWorld
202059,00089,00027.4 million
201959,00090,00027.7 million
201859,00089,65027.7 million
201781,00080,00027.4 million
2016147,60081,40027.5 million
2015147,60082,15027.4 million
2014147,60082,25027.3 million
2013147,60077,15027.2 million
2012147,60062,10028.2 million
2011147,60077,58028 million
2010147,50077,15028.1 million
2009147,50077,15027.9 million
2008167,00062,00027.5 million
2007167,00062,00027.3 million
2006167,000103,00027 million
2005167,00056,00028.5 million
2004165,00055,00027.1 million
2003168,80055,70028.2 million
2002156,80060,00028.3 million
2001154,50067,00028.2 million
2000168,50071,60029.4 million
1999181,00078,15029.6 million
1998180,500211,70029.9 million
1997178,000217,40029.9 million
199665,500277,90030.2 million
199565,500276,90030.2 million
199456,00075,00023.2 million
199356,00075,00023.7 million
199256,00075,00024.5 million
199156,00080,00022.7 million
199056,00085,00023.9 million
198956,000100,00024.3 million
198555,000106,40022.2 million
198456,00097,000–
198342,00077,000–
198260,00078,000–
198159,00078,000–
198050,00070,000–
197957,00070,000–
197864,00078,000–
197736,00067,000–
197635,00059,000–
197527,00050,000–
197424,00045,000–
197324,00040,000–
197220,00075,000–
197115,00060,000–
197014,00040,000–
196912,00055,000–
196811,00055,000–
196710,00050,000–
1966050,000–
1965055,000–
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

Singapore vs South Africa

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