Armed forces personnel, total in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Armed forces personnel, total was 1.20 million in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Africa Eastern and Southern is 1.20 million, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.7% on the previous year and down 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 1.48 million in 2012 and was at its lowest, 732,300, in 1985.
That places Africa Eastern and Southern 41st out of 46 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 732,300 | — |
| 1989 | 912,000 | +24.5% |
| 1990 | 922,000 | +1.1% |
| 1991 | 814,000 | -11.7% |
| 1992 | 800,000 | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 850,000 | +6.2% |
| 1994 | 794,000 | -6.6% |
| 1995 | 1.34 million | +69.1% |
| 1996 | 1.30 million | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 1.25 million | -3.7% |
| 1998 | 1.28 million | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 1.34 million | +4.4% |
| 2000 | 1.39 million | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 1.24 million | -10.7% |
| 2002 | 1.20 million | -3.5% |
| 2003 | 1.14 million | -5.0% |
| 2004 | 1.12 million | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 1.12 million | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 1.12 million | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 1.12 million | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 1.15 million | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 1.29 million | +12.2% |
| 2011 | 1.47 million | +14.5% |
| 2012 | 1.48 million | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 1.46 million | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 1.47 million | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 1.46 million | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 1.34 million | -8.4% |
| 2017 | 1.31 million | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 1.34 million | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 1.34 million | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.20 million | -10.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Africa Eastern and Southern 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +69.1% | 794,000 | 1.34 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 822,150 | 732,300 | 912,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.07 million | 794,000 | 1.34 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.18 million | 1.12 million | 1.39 million | 9 |
| 2010s | 1.40 million | 1.29 million | 1.48 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.20 million | 1.20 million | 1.20 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
More public sector data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Arms imports 420.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.2212 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -35.66 % change on previous year (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 166.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 17.76 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 -0.536 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 13.66 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 11.17 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Africa Eastern and Southern was 1.20 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 1.48 million in 2012.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 732,300 in 1985.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 41st out of 46 groups with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel, total. 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.