Nigeria vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Armed forces personnel, total
Nigeria
223,000
in 2020
Sub-Saharan Africa
1.73 million
in 2020
Nigeria rank
30th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
32nd
Armed forces personnel, total over time
- Nigeria
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
Sub-Saharan Africa currently reports 1.73 million against 223,000 in Nigeria, a difference of 1.51 million.
That makes Sub-Saharan Africa's figure about 7.8 times Nigeria's.
Across all 32 years both countries report, Sub-Saharan Africa has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 30th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 32nd of 173 countries.
Sub-Saharan Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 100,500 | 1.09 million | 993,915 | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 1990s | 93,620 | 1.40 million | 1.31 million | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2000s | 155,000 | 1.57 million | 1.42 million | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2010s | 187,100 | 1.84 million | 1.66 million | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2020s | 223,000 | 1.73 million | 1.51 million | Sub-Saharan Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Nigeria or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Sub-Saharan Africa, at 1.73 million against 223,000 in Nigeria as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 1.51 million, with Sub-Saharan Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
- Nigeria ranks 30th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 32nd of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as Armed forces personnel, total. 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 the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.