Armed forces personnel, total in Djibouti

Djibouti: Armed forces personnel, total was 13,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
13,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
121st
of 173 countries
All-time high
13,450
in 2018
All-time low
3,000
in 1985
Years of data
32
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in Djibouti, 1985–2020

2.5k5.0k7.5k10.0k12.5k1985200220201985: 3.0k1989: 4.0k1990: 4.0k1991: 3.0k1992: 8.0k1993: 8.0k1994: 8.0k1995: 12.6k1996: 12.6k1997: 12.6k1998: 12.6k1999: 12.6k2000: 12.6k2001: 12.6k2002: 12.3k2003: 12.3k2004: 11.0k2005: 13.0k2007: 12.0k2008: 13.0k2009: 12.9k2010: 12.9k2011: 12.9k2012: 12.9k2013: 12.9k2014: 12.9k2015: 12.9k2016: 13.1k2017: 13.0k2018: 13.4k2019: 13.0k2020: 13.0k

Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Analysis

In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Djibouti stood at 13,000.

The figure is up 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Djibouti peaked at 13,450 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 3,000, in 1985.

Djibouti ranks 121st 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 Djibouti, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total in Djibouti, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 3,000
1989 4,000 +33.3%
1990 4,000 +0.0%
1991 3,000 -25.0%
1992 8,000 +166.7%
1993 8,000 +0.0%
1994 8,000 +0.0%
1995 12,600 +57.5%
1996 12,600 +0.0%
1997 12,600 +0.0%
1998 12,600 +0.0%
1999 12,600 +0.0%
2000 12,600 +0.0%
2001 12,600 +0.0%
2002 12,300 -2.4%
2003 12,300 +0.0%
2004 11,000 -10.6%
2005 13,000 +18.2%
2007 12,000 -7.7%
2008 13,000 +8.3%
2009 12,950 -0.4%
2010 12,950 +0.0%
2011 12,950 +0.0%
2012 12,950 +0.0%
2013 12,950 +0.0%
2014 12,950 +0.0%
2015 12,950 +0.0%
2016 13,100 +1.2%
2017 13,000 -0.8%
2018 13,450 +3.5%
2019 13,000 -3.3%
2020 13,000 +0.0%

Djibouti compared with similar countries

  • Djibouti's 13,000 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 57% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
  • Djibouti's 13,000 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 80,000, 16% of the median. (23 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 3,500 3,000 4,000 2
1990s 9,400 3,000 12,600 10
2000s 12,417 11,000 13,000 9
2010s 13,025 12,950 13,450 10
2020s 13,000 13,000 13,000 1

Countries ranked near Djibouti

  1. 120 Somalia 14,000 compare
  2. 121 Cyprus 13,000 compare
  3. 121 Guinea 13,000 compare
  4. 124 Benin 12,000 compare
  5. 124 Congo 12,000 compare
  6. 124 Montenegro 12,000 compare
  7. 124 Nicaragua 12,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Djibouti

All data for Djibouti →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in Djibouti?
Armed forces personnel, total in Djibouti was 13,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Djibouti?
The highest recorded value was 13,450 in 2018.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Djibouti?
The lowest recorded value was 3,000 in 1985.
How does Djibouti rank for armed forces personnel, total?
Djibouti ranks 121st out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Djibouti?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Djibouti 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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Armed forces personnel, total in Djibouti. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total/djibouti/

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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total
Source
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.