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

South Africa
0.1%
in 2022
Yemen
0.1%
in 2022
South Africa rank
139th
Yemen rank
142nd

Military personnel as a share of total population over time

  • South Africa
  • Yemen
00.511.5192319722022

How they compare

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

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

The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Yemen ahead.

South Africa ranks 139th and Yemen ranks 142nd of 194 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Yemen in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Yemen Difference Ahead
1990s 0.2% 0.6% 0.4% Yemen
2000s 0.1% 0.3% 0.2% Yemen
2010s 0.1% 0.2% 0.1% Yemen
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, South Africa or Yemen?
South Africa, at 0.1% against 0.1% in Yemen as of 2022.
What is the difference in military personnel as a share of total population between South Africa and Yemen?
0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Yemen?
33 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2022.
How do South Africa and Yemen rank globally for military personnel as a share of total population?
South Africa ranks 139th and Yemen ranks 142nd 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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South Africa vs Yemen: 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 14 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/military-personnel-as-a-share-of-total-population/south-africa/yemen-rep/

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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.