Armed forces personnel, total in Angola
Angola: Armed forces personnel, total was 117,000 in 2020. ▬ Flat
Armed forces personnel, total in Angola, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Angola is 117,000, measured in 2020.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Angola peaked at 150,000 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 49,500, in 1985.
That places Angola 49th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Armed forces personnel, total in Angola, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 49,500 | — |
| 1989 | 107,000 | +116.2% |
| 1990 | 115,000 | +7.5% |
| 1991 | 150,000 | +30.4% |
| 1992 | 128,000 | -14.7% |
| 1993 | 128,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 120,000 | -6.2% |
| 1995 | 122,000 | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 106,400 | -12.8% |
| 1997 | 125,500 | +18.0% |
| 1998 | 129,000 | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 127,500 | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 117,500 | -7.8% |
| 2001 | 145,500 | +23.8% |
| 2002 | 110,000 | -24.4% |
| 2003 | 130,000 | +18.2% |
| 2004 | 118,000 | -9.2% |
| 2005 | 118,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 110,000 | -6.8% |
| 2007 | 117,000 | +6.4% |
| 2008 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 117,000 | +0.0% |
Angola compared with similar countries
- Angola's 117,000 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 5.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Angola's 117,000 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 7.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Angola 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 | +116.2% | 49,500 | 107,000 |
| 1991 | +30.4% | 115,000 | 150,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 78,250 | 49,500 | 107,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 125,140 | 106,400 | 150,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 120,000 | 110,000 | 145,500 | 10 |
| 2010s | 117,000 | 117,000 | 117,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 117,000 | 117,000 | 117,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Angola
More public sector data for Angola
- Democracy, 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)
- 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 in Angola?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Angola was 117,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Angola?
- The highest recorded value was 150,000 in 1991.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Angola?
- The lowest recorded value was 49,500 in 1985.
- How does Angola rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Angola ranks 49th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Angola?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Angola 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.