Philippines vs South Africa: Military personnel as a share of total population

Philippines
0.1%
in 2022
South Africa
0.1%
in 2022
Philippines rank
138th
South Africa rank
139th

Military personnel as a share of total population over time

  • Philippines
  • South Africa
00.511.5192319722022

How they compare

Philippines currently reports 0.1% against 0.1% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.

That makes Philippines's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 9 times across 77 shared years of data; in 1946 it was South Africa ahead.

Philippines ranks 138th and South Africa ranks 139th of 194 countries.

Across the 9 decades both report, Philippines averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade Philippines South Africa Difference Ahead
1940s 0.1% 0.2% 0.1% South Africa
1950s 0.2% 0.1% 0.1% Philippines
1960s 0.2% 0.2% 0.1% South Africa
1970s 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% Philippines
1980s 0.2% 0.3% 0.0% South Africa
1990s 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% South Africa
2000s 0.1% 0.1% 0.0% South Africa
2010s 0.1% 0.1% 0.0% Philippines
2020s 0.1% 0.1% 0.0% Philippines

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military personnel as a share of total population, Philippines or South Africa?
Philippines, at 0.1% against 0.1% in South Africa as of 2022.
What is the difference in military personnel as a share of total population between Philippines and South Africa?
0.0%, with Philippines ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Philippines and South Africa?
77 years are reported by both, from 1946 to 2022.
How do Philippines and South Africa rank globally for military personnel as a share of total population?
Philippines ranks 138th and South Africa ranks 139th of 194 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Philippines vs South Africa: Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid, drawing on Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/military-personnel-as-a-share-of-total-population/philippines/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Military personnel as a share of total population
Unit
%
Source
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed

Ratio of military personnel to total population, expressed as a percentage.