Armed forces personnel, total in Rwanda
Rwanda: Armed forces personnel, total was 35,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Rwanda, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
Rwanda recorded 35,000 for armed forces personnel, total in 2020.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Rwanda peaked at 80,000 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 5,200, in 1985.
Rwanda ranks 84th 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 Rwanda, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 5,200 | — |
| 1989 | 6,000 | +15.4% |
| 1990 | 6,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 30,000 | +400.0% |
| 1992 | 30,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 30,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 30,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 47,000 | +56.7% |
| 1996 | 40,000 | -14.9% |
| 1997 | 62,000 | +55.0% |
| 1998 | 54,000 | -12.9% |
| 1999 | 54,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 76,000 | +40.7% |
| 2001 | 79,000 | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 80,000 | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 61,000 | -23.8% |
| 2004 | 53,000 | -13.1% |
| 2005 | 53,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 35,000 | -34.0% |
| 2008 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 35,000 is above the median for low income countries, which is 35,000, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 35,000 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 2.2× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5,600 | 5,200 | 6,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 38,300 | 6,000 | 62,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 56,333 | 35,000 | 80,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More public sector data for Rwanda
- 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 Rwanda?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Rwanda was 35,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 80,000 in 2002.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,200 in 1985.
- How does Rwanda rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Rwanda ranks 84th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.