South Africa vs Uganda
South Africa vs Uganda: Armed forces, share of workers
Armed forces, share of workers in 2020: 0.4% of the labour force in South Africa and 0.24% of the labour force in Uganda, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.16 percentage points, or 1.64 times that in Uganda.
% of the labour force · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 2013, when it overtook Uganda.
- In 2020, South Africa ranked 131 and Uganda ranked 151 of 168 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 0.79% of the labour force in 2020.
Every year
% of the labour force · IISS
| Year | South Africa | Uganda | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 0.4 | 0.24 | 0.79 |
| 2019 | 0.38 | 0.26 | 0.79 |
| 2018 | 0.38 | 0.28 | 0.8 |
| 2017 | 0.35 | 0.3 | 0.8 |
| 2016 | 0.36 | 0.31 | 0.81 |
| 2015 | 0.37 | 0.32 | 0.82 |
| 2014 | 0.39 | 0.32 | 0.82 |
| 2013 | 0.37 | 0.31 | 0.83 |
| 2012 | 0.31 | 0.38 | 0.87 |
| 2011 | 0.4 | 0.35 | 0.88 |
| 2010 | 0.4 | 0.39 | 0.89 |
| 2009 | 0.39 | 0.4 | 0.89 |
| 2008 | 0.31 | 0.42 | 0.89 |
| 2007 | 0.31 | 0.43 | 0.89 |
| 2006 | 0.53 | – | 0.95 |
| 2005 | 0.29 | 0.45 | 0.96 |
| 2004 | 0.29 | 0.55 | 0.94 |
| 2003 | 0.3 | 0.63 | 0.98 |
| 2002 | 0.33 | 0.6 | 1 |
| 2001 | 0.37 | 0.62 | 1.01 |
| 2000 | 0.41 | 0.57 | 1.07 |
| 1999 | 0.45 | 0.48 | 1.09 |
| 1998 | 1.25 | 0.5 | 1.13 |
| 1997 | 1.31 | 0.57 | 1.15 |
| 1996 | 1.7 | 0.65 | 1.18 |
| 1995 | 1.71 | 0.66 | 1.2 |
| 1994 | 0.47 | 0.79 | 0.94 |
| 1993 | 0.48 | 0.95 | 0.98 |
| 1992 | 0.49 | 0.98 | 1.03 |
| 1991 | 0.53 | 0.87 | 1.03 |
| 1990 | 0.58 | 0.9 | 1.11 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel as a share of everyone working or looking for work, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Ranks count the 168 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 Uganda
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Uganda: 68.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Uganda: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Uganda: 28.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Uganda: 4.92% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Uganda: 11.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Uganda: 48.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Uganda: 2.78% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Uganda: 4.28 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Uganda: 31.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Uganda: 16.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Uganda: 2.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Uganda: -2.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Uganda: 1.96% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Uganda: $1.2B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Uganda: $26 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Uganda: 9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Uganda: 46,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Uganda: 0.2% of world capability in 2022
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Uganda: 2 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Uganda: 4 million TIV in 2016