Armed forces personnel, total in Somalia

Somalia: Armed forces personnel, total was 14,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
14,000
Change on year
down 30.0%
World rank
120th
of 173 countries
All-time high
225,000
in 1995
All-time low
2,000
in 2009
Years of data
21
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in Somalia, 1985–2020

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k1985200220201985: 62.7k1989: 47.0k1990: 47.0k1995: 225.0k1996: 225.0k1997: 225.0k1998: 225.0k1999: 50.0k2000: 50.0k2009: 2.0k2010: 2.0k2011: 3.2k2012: 20.0k2013: 11.0k2014: 17.0k2015: 19.8k2016: 19.8k2017: 20.0k2018: 19.8k2019: 20.0k2020: 14.0k

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

Analysis

In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Somalia stood at 14,000.

The figure is down 30.0% on the previous year and up 600.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Somalia peaked at 225,000 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 2,000, in 2009.

Somalia ranks 120th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 54,850 47,000 62,700 2
1990s 166,167 47,000 225,000 6
2000s 26,000 2,000 50,000 2
2010s 15,260 2,000 20,000 10
2020s 14,000 14,000 14,000 1

Countries ranked near Somalia

  1. 117 Denmark 15,000 compare
  2. 117 Malawi 15,000 compare
  3. 117 Sweden 15,000 compare
  4. 121 Cyprus 13,000 compare
  5. 121 Djibouti 13,000 compare
  6. 121 Guinea 13,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Somalia

All data for Somalia →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in Somalia?
Armed forces personnel, total in Somalia was 14,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Somalia?
The highest recorded value was 225,000 in 1995.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Somalia?
The lowest recorded value was 2,000 in 2009.
How does Somalia rank for armed forces personnel, total?
Somalia ranks 120th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Somalia?
Over the last ten years it is up 600.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Somalia 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

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.