Nicaragua vs South Africa: Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force
Nicaragua
0.4%
in 2020
South Africa
0.4%
in 2020
Nicaragua rank
131st
South Africa rank
134th
Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force over time
- Nicaragua
- South Africa
How they compare
Nicaragua currently reports 0.4% against 0.4% in South Africa, a difference of 0.0%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Nicaragua ahead.
Nicaragua ranks 131st and South Africa ranks 134th of 171 countries.
Nicaragua has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nicaragua | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 0.3% | Nicaragua |
| 2000s | 0.7% | 0.4% | 0.3% | Nicaragua |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.1% | Nicaragua |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.0% | Nicaragua |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force, Nicaragua or South Africa?
- Nicaragua, at 0.4% against 0.4% in South Africa as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force between Nicaragua and South Africa?
- 0.0%, with Nicaragua ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nicaragua and South Africa?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2020.
- How do Nicaragua and South Africa rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force?
- Nicaragua ranks 131st and South Africa ranks 134th of 171 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel as a share of the total labor force. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.