Armed forces personnel, total in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Armed forces personnel, total was 532,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Africa Western and Central, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Africa Western and Central is 532,000, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 12.4% on the previous year and up 36.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Africa Western and Central peaked at 607,000 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 218,530, in 1985.
Africa Western and Central ranks 42nd of 46 groups on this measure, 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 Western and Central, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 218,530 | — |
| 1989 | 326,000 | +49.2% |
| 1990 | 334,000 | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 334,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 283,000 | -15.3% |
| 1993 | 271,000 | -4.2% |
| 1994 | 268,000 | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 356,000 | +32.8% |
| 1996 | 363,600 | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 375,270 | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 357,100 | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 363,650 | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 337,700 | -7.1% |
| 2001 | 403,600 | +19.5% |
| 2002 | 413,350 | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 408,200 | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 381,800 | -6.5% |
| 2005 | 410,800 | +7.6% |
| 2007 | 410,000 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 407,000 | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 407,988 | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 389,358 | -4.6% |
| 2011 | 384,420 | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 385,170 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 389,170 | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 419,170 | +7.7% |
| 2015 | 457,670 | +9.2% |
| 2016 | 459,800 | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 476,000 | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 499,750 | +5.0% |
| 2019 | 607,000 | +21.5% |
| 2020 | 532,000 | -12.4% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Africa Western and Central 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +49.2% | 218,530 | 326,000 |
| 1995 | +32.8% | 268,000 | 356,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 272,265 | 218,530 | 326,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 330,562 | 268,000 | 375,270 | 10 |
| 2000s | 397,826 | 337,700 | 413,350 | 9 |
| 2010s | 446,751 | 384,420 | 607,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 532,000 | 532,000 | 532,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More public sector data for Africa Western and Central
- Arms imports 163.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- 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, total in Africa Western and Central?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Africa Western and Central was 532,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 607,000 in 2019.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 218,530 in 1985.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 42nd out of 46 groups with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 36.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, 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.