South Africa vs Zambia: 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 Zambia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in South Africa, by 0.15 percentage points, or 1.64 times that in Zambia.

Watch it change on the map

% of the labour force · IISS

South AfricaZambiaWorld

What the numbers say

South Africa has been higher since 2013, when it overtook Zambia.
In 2020, South Africa ranked 131 and Zambia ranked 150 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	Zambia	World
2020	0.4	0.24	0.79
2019	0.38	0.26	0.79
2018	0.38	0.27	0.8
2017	0.35	0.28	0.8
2016	0.36	0.3	0.81
2015	0.37	0.31	0.82
2014	0.39	0.32	0.82
2013	0.37	0.34	0.83
2012	0.31	0.35	0.87
2011	0.4	0.36	0.88
2010	0.4	0.37	0.89
2009	0.39	0.39	0.89
2008	0.31	0.39	0.89
2007	0.31	0.4	0.89
2006	0.53	0.42	0.95
2005	0.29	0.44	0.96
2004	0.29	0.45	0.94
2003	0.3	0.57	0.98
2002	0.33	0.69	1
2001	0.37	0.72	1.01
2000	0.41	0.74	1.07
1999	0.45	0.76	1.09
1998	1.25	0.79	1.13
1997	1.31	0.81	1.15
1996	1.7	0.83	1.18
1995	1.71	0.85	1.2
1994	0.47	0.6	0.94
1993	0.48	0.62	0.98
1992	0.49	0.63	1.03
1991	0.53	0.65	1.03
1990	0.58	0.67	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 Zambia: Armed forces, share of workers

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

Good to know

South Africa vs Zambia

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