Sierra Leone vs South Africa: Military personnel as a share of total population
Sierra Leone
0.1%
in 2022
South Africa
0.1%
in 2022
Sierra Leone rank
141st
South Africa rank
139th
Military personnel as a share of total population over time
- Sierra Leone
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 0.1% against 0.1% in Sierra Leone, a difference of 0.0%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Sierra Leone's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 62 shared years of data; in 1961 it was South Africa ahead.
Sierra Leone ranks 141st and South Africa ranks 139th of 194 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Sierra Leone averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Sierra Leone | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 1970s | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.1% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.1% | Sierra Leone |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.0% | Sierra Leone |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel as a share of total population, Sierra Leone or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 0.1% against 0.1% in Sierra Leone as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel as a share of total population between Sierra Leone and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Sierra Leone and South Africa?
- 62 years are reported by both, from 1961 to 2022.
- How do Sierra Leone and South Africa rank globally for military personnel as a share of total population?
- Sierra Leone ranks 141st 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.
Individual pages
About this data
Ratio of military personnel to total population, expressed as a percentage.