South Africa vs South Korea
South Africa vs South Korea: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 89,000 people in South Africa and 569,000 people in South Korea, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Korea, by 480,000 people, or 6.39 times that in South Africa.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Korea has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, South Africa ranked 54 and South Korea ranked 11 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | South Africa | South Korea | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 89,000 | 569,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 90,000 | 613,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 89,650 | 608,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 80,000 | 634,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 81,400 | 634,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 82,150 | 634,500 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 82,250 | 632,500 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 77,150 | 659,500 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 62,100 | 659,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 77,580 | 659,500 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 77,150 | 659,500 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 77,150 | 659,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 62,000 | 692,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 62,000 | 692,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 103,000 | 692,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 56,000 | 693,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 55,000 | 696,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 55,700 | 690,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 60,000 | 690,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 67,000 | 687,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 71,600 | 687,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 78,150 | 676,500 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 211,700 | 676,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 217,400 | 676,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 277,900 | 668,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 276,900 | 641,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 75,000 | 750,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 75,000 | 750,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 75,000 | 750,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 80,000 | 750,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 85,000 | 650,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 100,000 | 647,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 106,400 | 598,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 97,000 | 602,000 | – |
| 1983 | 77,000 | 602,000 | – |
| 1982 | 78,000 | 601,000 | – |
| 1981 | 78,000 | 606,000 | – |
| 1980 | 70,000 | 600,000 | – |
| 1979 | 70,000 | 638,000 | – |
| 1978 | 78,000 | 600,000 | – |
| 1977 | 67,000 | 600,000 | – |
| 1976 | 59,000 | 610,000 | – |
| 1975 | 50,000 | 630,000 | – |
| 1974 | 45,000 | 634,000 | – |
| 1973 | 40,000 | 634,000 | – |
| 1972 | 75,000 | 635,000 | – |
| 1971 | 60,000 | 638,000 | – |
| 1970 | 40,000 | 645,000 | – |
| 1969 | 55,000 | 620,000 | – |
| 1968 | 55,000 | 620,000 | – |
| 1967 | 50,000 | 612,000 | – |
| 1966 | 50,000 | 572,000 | – |
| 1965 | 55,000 | 604,000 | – |
| 1964 | 50,000 | 600,000 | – |
| 1963 | 45,000 | 627,000 | – |
| 1962 | 24,000 | 570,000 | – |
| 1961 | 24,000 | 570,000 | – |
| 1960 | 22,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1959 | 21,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1958 | 20,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1957 | 19,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1956 | 17,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1955 | 16,000 | 730,000 | – |
| 1954 | 15,000 | 630,000 | – |
| 1953 | 14,000 | 504,000 | – |
| 1952 | 13,000 | 335,000 | – |
| 1951 | 11,000 | 196,000 | – |
| 1950 | 10,000 | 109,000 | – |
| 1949 | 9,000 | 69,000 | – |
| 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
South Africa vs South Korea
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023South Korea: 84.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024South Korea: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Korea: 2.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017South Korea: 3.17% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Korea: 20.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023South Korea: 51.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023South Korea: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023South Korea: 0.72 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025South Korea: 81.2% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023South Korea: 44.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023South Korea: 18.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023South Korea: 1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025South Korea: 2.6% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025South Korea: $48.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025South Korea: $924 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025South Korea: 10.8% of government spending in 2025
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022South Korea: 2% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020South Korea: 2.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 222 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025South Korea: 2.02 billion TIV in 2025