Armed forces personnel in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Armed forces personnel was 0.3% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Africa Western and Central, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in Africa Western and Central stood at 0.3%.
The figure is down 13.4% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Africa Western and Central peaked at 0.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2014.
That places Africa Western and Central 46th out of 46 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 30 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.4% | — |
| 1991 | 0.4% | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 0.3% | -18.0% |
| 1993 | 0.3% | -6.3% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | -4.2% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | +27.6% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 0.3% | -7.5% |
| 1999 | 0.3% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 0.3% | -4.5% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | +16.3% |
| 2002 | 0.4% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 0.3% | -3.8% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | -12.9% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 0.3% | -5.2% |
| 2008 | 0.3% | -3.2% |
| 2009 | 0.3% | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 0.3% | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 0.3% | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 0.3% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 0.3% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | +6.5% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 0.3% | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | +18.3% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -13.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More public sector data for Africa Western and Central
- Arms imports 360.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.6914 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0005 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -36.28 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 360.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 15.4 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0109 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -14.98 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 8.02 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 62.46 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Africa Western and Central?
- Armed forces personnel in Africa Western and Central was 0.3% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2014.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for armed forces personnel?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 46th out of 46 groups with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.