Armed forces personnel, total in Congo
Congo: Armed forces personnel, total was 12,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in Congo, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Congo is 12,000, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Congo peaked at 16,700 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2019.
That places Congo 124th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Congo, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 8,700 | — |
| 1989 | 15,000 | +72.4% |
| 1990 | 9,000 | -40.0% |
| 1991 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 10,000 | +11.1% |
| 1993 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 16,700 | +67.0% |
| 1996 | 15,000 | -10.2% |
| 1997 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 12,000 | -20.0% |
| 2002 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 12,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2020 | 12,000 | — |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 12,000 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 52% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Congo's 12,000 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 75% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11,850 | 8,700 | 15,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 12,470 | 9,000 | 16,700 | 10 |
| 2000s | 12,333 | 12,000 | 15,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 10,800 | 0 | 12,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More public sector data for Congo
- 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 Congo?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Congo was 12,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 16,700 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2019.
- How does Congo rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Congo ranks 124th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo 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.