South Africa vs Zambia
South Africa vs Zambia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 89,000 people in South Africa and 16,000 people in Zambia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 73,000 people, or 5.56 times that in Zambia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | South Africa | Zambia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 89,000 | 16,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 90,000 | 16,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 89,650 | 16,100 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 80,000 | 16,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 81,400 | 16,500 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 82,150 | 16,500 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 82,250 | 16,500 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 77,150 | 16,500 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 62,100 | 16,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 77,580 | 16,500 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 77,150 | 16,500 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 77,150 | 16,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 62,000 | 16,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 62,000 | 16,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 103,000 | 16,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 56,000 | 16,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 55,000 | 16,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 55,700 | 19,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 60,000 | 23,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 67,000 | 23,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 71,600 | 23,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 78,150 | 23,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 211,700 | 23,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 217,400 | 23,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 277,900 | 23,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 276,900 | 23,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 75,000 | 16,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 75,000 | 16,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 75,000 | 16,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 80,000 | 16,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 85,000 | 16,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 100,000 | 17,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 106,400 | 16,200 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 97,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1983 | 77,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1982 | 78,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1981 | 78,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1980 | 70,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1979 | 70,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1978 | 78,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1977 | 67,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1976 | 59,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1975 | 50,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1974 | 45,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1973 | 40,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1972 | 75,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1971 | 60,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1970 | 40,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1969 | 55,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1968 | 55,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1967 | 50,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1966 | 50,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1965 | 55,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1964 | 50,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 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
South Africa vs Zambia
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Zambia: 66.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Zambia: 4.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Zambia: 38.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Zambia: 3.64% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Zambia: 13.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Zambia: 20.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Zambia: 2.83% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Zambia: 4.1 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Zambia: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Zambia: 17.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Zambia: 1.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Zambia: 0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Zambia: 1.26% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Zambia: $343M in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Zambia: $19 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Zambia: 4.5% of government spending in 2025
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Zambia: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Zambia: 0.24% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 1 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Zambia: 2 million TIV in 1990