Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Deaths in armed conflicts
Saudi Arabia
5 deaths
in 2025
South Africa
1 deaths
in 2025
Saudi Arabia rank
49th
South Africa rank
52nd
Deaths in armed conflicts over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 5 deaths against 1 deaths in South Africa, a difference of 4 deaths.
That makes Saudi Arabia's figure about 5.0 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 37 shared years of data; in 1989 it was South Africa ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 49th and South Africa ranks 52nd of 196 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0 deaths | 446 deaths | 446 deaths | South Africa |
| 1990s | 9.6 deaths | 643 deaths | 633.4 deaths | South Africa |
| 2000s | 26.1 deaths | 0 deaths | 26.1 deaths | Saudi Arabia |
| 2010s | 47.1 deaths | 0.1 deaths | 47 deaths | Saudi Arabia |
| 2020s | 3.5 deaths | 27.33 deaths | 23.83 deaths | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher deaths in armed conflicts, Saudi Arabia or South Africa?
- Saudi Arabia, at 5 deaths against 1 deaths in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in deaths in armed conflicts between Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 4 deaths, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 37 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2025.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Africa rank globally for deaths in armed conflicts?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 49th and South Africa ranks 52nd of 196 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Uppsala Conflict Data Program (2026); geoBoundaries (2023) β processed by Our World in Data, published as Deaths in armed conflicts. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
High estimate of the number of deaths of combatants and civilians due to fighting in interstate, intrastate, extrasystemic, non-state conflicts, and one-sided violence that were ongoing that year.