Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) was 0.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone is 0.4%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 27.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone peaked at 1.0% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2000.
That places Sierra Leone 141st out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.3% | — |
| 1991 | 0.3% | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | +63.3% |
| 1993 | 0.3% | -37.3% |
| 1994 | 0.3% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 0.5% | +40.0% |
| 1996 | 1.0% | +113.5% |
| 1997 | 1.0% | +4.1% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | -63.6% |
| 1999 | 0.2% | -34.7% |
| 2000 | 0.2% | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | +48.9% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | +104.6% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 0.5% | -16.2% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | -5.9% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | -20.1% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | +4.1% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 0.4% is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.5%, 66% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 0.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.4%, 88% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | +113.5% | 0.5% | 1.0% |
| 2002 | +104.6% | 0.4% | 0.7% |
| 1992 | +63.3% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
| 1998 | -63.6% | 1.0% | 0.4% |
| 2001 | +48.9% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
| 1995 | +40.0% | 0.3% | 0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 1.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.2% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 138 Philippines 0.4% compare
- 139 Ireland 0.4% compare
- 140 East Timor 0.4% compare
- 142 Canada 0.4% compare
- 143 New Zealand 0.3% compare
- 144 Cameroon 0.3% compare
More public sector data for Sierra Leone
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 2.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2016)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.2776 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2016)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2016)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 2.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2016)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone?
- Armed forces personnel in Sierra Leone was 0.4% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 1.0% in 1997.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2000.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for armed forces personnel?
- Sierra Leone ranks 141st out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.