Armed forces personnel, total in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Armed forces personnel, total was 11,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Burkina Faso, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
Burkina Faso recorded 11,000 for armed forces personnel, total in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Burkina Faso peaked at 15,000 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 4,000, in 1985.
Burkina Faso ranks 128th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 4,000 | — |
| 1989 | 8,000 | +100.0% |
| 1990 | 10,000 | +25.0% |
| 1991 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 9,000 | -10.0% |
| 1993 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 10,300 | +14.4% |
| 1996 | 10,300 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 10,000 | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 10,250 | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 10,300 | +0.5% |
| 2000 | 11,300 | +9.7% |
| 2001 | 14,200 | +25.7% |
| 2002 | 14,400 | +1.4% |
| 2003 | 15,000 | +4.2% |
| 2004 | 10,250 | -31.7% |
| 2005 | 11,250 | +9.8% |
| 2007 | 11,250 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 11,250 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 11,450 | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 11,450 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 11,450 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 11,450 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 11,450 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 11,450 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 11,450 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 11,450 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 11,000 | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 11,200 | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 11,000 | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 11,000 | +0.0% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 11,000 is below the median for low income countries, which is 35,000, 31% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 11,000 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 69% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Burkina Faso 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 | +100.0% | 4,000 | 8,000 |
| 2004 | -31.7% | 15,000 | 10,250 |
| 2001 | +25.7% | 11,300 | 14,200 |
| 1990 | +25.0% | 8,000 | 10,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6,000 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 9,815 | 9,000 | 10,300 | 10 |
| 2000s | 12,261 | 10,250 | 15,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 11,335 | 11,000 | 11,450 | 10 |
| 2020s | 11,000 | 11,000 | 11,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 128 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11,000 compare
- 128 Mozambique 11,000 compare
- 131 Central African Republic 10,000 compare
- 131 Costa Rica 10,000 compare
- 131 New Zealand 10,000 compare
- 131 Niger 10,000 compare
- 131 Togo 10,000 compare
More public sector data for Burkina Faso
- Democracy, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2022)
- 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 -100 % change on previous year (2022)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2022)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate -100 % change on previous year (2022)
- Democracy 0 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Burkina Faso?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Burkina Faso was 11,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 15,000 in 2003.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,000 in 1985.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Burkina Faso ranks 128th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso 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.