Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Kenya

Kenya: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 24,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
24,000
Change on year
down 17.2%
World rank
96th
of 173 countries
All-time high
29,400
in 2001
All-time low
13,700
in 1985
Years of data
36
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Kenya, 1985–2020

010.0k20.0k30.0k1985200220201985: 13.7k1986: 15.3k1987: 16.9k1988: 18.4k1989: 20.0k1990: 20.0k1991: 20.0k1992: 24.0k1993: 24.0k1994: 22.0k1995: 29.2k1996: 29.2k1997: 29.2k1998: 29.2k1999: 29.2k2000: 27.2k2001: 29.4k2002: 29.4k2003: 29.1k2004: 29.0k2005: 29.0k2006: 29.0k2007: 29.0k2008: 29.0k2009: 29.1k2010: 29.1k2011: 29.1k2012: 29.1k2013: 29.1k2014: 29.1k2015: 29.1k2016: 29.1k2017: 29.0k2018: 29.1k2019: 29.0k2020: 24.0k

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

Kenya recorded 24,000 for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in 2020.

That represents a change of down 17.2% on the previous year and down 17.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Kenya peaked at 29,400 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 13,700, in 1985.

Kenya ranks 96th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Kenya, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Kenya, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 13,700
1986 15,275 +11.5%
1987 16,850 +10.3%
1988 18,425 +9.3%
1989 20,000 +8.5%
1990 20,000 +0.0%
1991 20,000 +0.0%
1992 24,000 +20.0%
1993 24,000 +0.0%
1994 22,000 -8.3%
1995 29,200 +32.7%
1996 29,200 +0.0%
1997 29,200 +0.0%
1998 29,200 +0.0%
1999 29,200 +0.0%
2000 27,200 -6.8%
2001 29,400 +8.1%
2002 29,400 +0.0%
2003 29,100 -1.0%
2004 29,000 -0.3%
2005 29,000 +0.0%
2006 29,000 +0.0%
2007 29,000 +0.0%
2008 29,000 +0.0%
2009 29,120 +0.4%
2010 29,120 +0.0%
2011 29,100 -0.1%
2012 29,100 +0.0%
2013 29,100 +0.0%
2014 29,100 +0.0%
2015 29,100 +0.0%
2016 29,100 +0.0%
2017 29,000 -0.3%
2018 29,100 +0.3%
2019 29,000 -0.3%
2020 24,000 -17.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 16,850 13,700 20,000 5
1990s 25,600 20,000 29,200 10
2000s 28,922 27,200 29,400 10
2010s 29,082 29,000 29,120 10
2020s 24,000 24,000 24,000 1

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 93 Georgia 26,000 compare
  2. 94 Kuwait 25,000 compare
  3. 94 Norway 25,000 compare
  4. 96 Belgium 24,000 compare
  5. 98 Austria 23,000 compare
  6. 98 Honduras 23,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Kenya?
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Kenya was 24,000 in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 29,400 in 2001.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 13,700 in 1985.
How does Kenya rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
Kenya ranks 96th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Kenya data come from?
The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-gaps-filled/kenya/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page; please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-gaps-filled/kenya/">Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Kenya</a> — Statizoid

How this figure is calculated

Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.

Computed from

Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.

About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
219 places, 7,420 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.