South Africa vs South Korea: National power

National power in 2022: 0.55% of world capability in South Africa and 2% of world capability in South Korea, by Correlates of War estimates. In 2022 the value was higher in South Korea, by 1.45 percentage points, or 3.65 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of world capability · Correlates of War

South AfricaSouth Korea

What the numbers say

South Korea has been higher since 1951, when it overtook South Africa.
In 2022, South Africa ranked 33 and South Korea ranked 8 of 195 countries, counting from the highest.

Every year

% of world capability · Correlates of War

Year	South Africa	South Korea
2022	0.55	2
2021	0.56	2.11
2020	0.57	2.11
2019	0.59	2.19
2018	0.59	2.26
2017	0.6	2.3
2016	0.64	2.33
2015	0.65	2.35
2014	0.66	2.33
2013	0.67	2.27
2012	0.68	2.32
2011	0.69	2.33
2010	0.69	2.24
2009	0.72	2.2
2008	0.72	2.25
2007	0.74	2.3
2006	0.75	2.32
2005	0.77	2.34
2004	0.79	2.32
2003	0.79	2.35
2002	0.78	2.42
2001	0.75	2.32
2000	0.74	2.34
1999	0.74	2.34
1998	0.76	2.31
1997	0.79	2.46
1996	0.79	2.43
1995	0.82	2.4
1994	0.83	2.32
1993	0.83	2.31
1992	0.82	2.2
1991	0.84	2.06
1990	0.8	1.79
1989	0.83	1.79
1988	0.8	1.65
1987	0.82	1.59
1986	0.8	1.55
1985	0.81	1.54
1984	0.8	1.53
1983	0.8	1.52
1982	0.81	1.53
1981	0.81	1.47
1980	0.78	1.39
1979	0.74	1.2
1978	0.74	1.11
1977	0.72	1.09
1976	0.7	1.05
1975	0.68	1.02
1974	0.63	1
1973	0.6	1
1972	0.62	0.97
1971	0.61	0.94
1970	0.59	0.91
1969	0.59	0.87
1968	0.59	0.86
1967	0.54	0.85
1966	0.52	0.84
1965	0.54	0.91
1964	0.53	0.89
1963	0.52	0.92
1962	0.5	0.91
1961	0.49	0.89
1960	0.47	0.93
1959	0.47	0.94
1958	0.49	0.93
1957	0.48	0.91
1956	0.47	0.89
1955	0.48	0.93
1954	0.51	0.85
1953	0.5	0.76
1952	0.52	0.62
1951	0.51	0.54
1950	0.5	0.47
1949	0.52	0.44
1948	0.52	–
1947	0.56	–
1946	0.63	–
1945	0.64	–
1944	0.58	–
1943	0.57	–
1942	0.63	–
1941	0.57	–
1940	0.54	–
1939	0.43	–
1938	0.44	–
1937	0.41	–
1936	0.41	–
1935	0.4	–
1934	0.36	–
1933	0.35	–
1932	0.36	–
1931	0.35	–
1930	0.34	–
1929	0.34	–
1928	0.35	–
1927	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

South Africa vs South Korea: National power

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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