Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 9,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Sierra Leone, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 9,000 for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in 2020.
That represents a change of down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Sierra Leone peaked at 15,800 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 3,100, in 1985.
That places Sierra Leone 136th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 3,100 | — |
| 1986 | 3,325 | +7.3% |
| 1987 | 3,550 | +6.8% |
| 1988 | 3,775 | +6.3% |
| 1989 | 4,000 | +6.0% |
| 1990 | 5,000 | +25.0% |
| 1991 | 5,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 8,000 | +60.0% |
| 1993 | 5,000 | -37.5% |
| 1994 | 5,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 7,000 | +40.0% |
| 1996 | 15,000 | +114.3% |
| 1997 | 15,800 | +5.3% |
| 1998 | 5,800 | -63.3% |
| 1999 | 3,800 | -34.5% |
| 2000 | 3,800 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 6,000 | +57.9% |
| 2002 | 13,000 | +116.7% |
| 2003 | 13,000 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 13,000 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 13,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 11,000 | -15.4% |
| 2007 | 11,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 11,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10,500 | -4.5% |
| 2010 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 8,500 | -19.0% |
| 2015 | 8,500 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 8,500 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9,000 | +5.9% |
| 2018 | 8,500 | -5.6% |
| 2019 | 9,000 | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 9,000 is below the median for low income countries, which is 35,000, 26% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 9,000 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 56% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | +116.7% | 6,000 | 13,000 |
| 1996 | +114.3% | 7,000 | 15,000 |
| 1998 | -63.3% | 15,800 | 5,800 |
| 1992 | +60.0% | 5,000 | 8,000 |
| 2001 | +57.9% | 3,800 | 6,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3,550 | 3,100 | 4,000 | 5 |
| 1990s | 7,540 | 3,800 | 15,800 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10,530 | 3,800 | 13,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 9,400 | 8,500 | 10,500 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,000 | 9,000 | 9,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More public sector data for Sierra Leone
- Democracy, 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)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, 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)
- Democracy 3 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Sierra Leone?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Sierra Leone was 9,000 in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 15,800 in 1997.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,100 in 1985.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- Sierra Leone ranks 136th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.
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
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
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
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.