Contact Contacts
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Ethiopia

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Ethiopia in 2022 — 503,000 people. Ranked 10 in the world out of 189. Since 1898, the indicator has risen by 235.3%.

2022 503,000 people +264.49% vs 2021
World rank 10of 189
Period maximum 503,000 people2022
Period minimum 10,000 people1946

Trend over time

1898–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Ethiopia, 1898–20220200,000400,000600,000189819111924193719501963197619892002201520221898: 150,000 people1900: 150,000 people1902: 150,000 people1904: 150,000 people1906: 150,000 people1908: 150,000 people1910: 150,000 people1912: 150,000 people1914: 250,000 people1916: 250,000 people1918: 250,000 people1920: 100,000 people1922: 100,000 people1924: 100,000 people1926: 100,000 people1928: 100,000 people1930: 100,000 people1932: 100,000 people1934: 100,000 people1936: 500,000 people1947: 10,000 people1949: 10,000 people1951: 20,000 people1953: 20,000 people1955: 24,000 people1957: 32,000 people1959: 29,000 people1961: 27,000 people1963: 55,000 people1965: 60,000 people1967: 45,000 people1969: 45,000 people1971: 45,000 people1973: 50,000 people1975: 50,000 people1977: 225,000 people1979: 250,000 people1981: 240,000 people1983: 240,000 people1985: 240,000 people1987: 300,000 people1989: 250,000 people1991: 120,000 people1993: 120,000 people1995: 120,000 people1997: 100,000 people1999: 300,000 people2001: 252,000 people2003: 164,000 people2005: 183,000 people2007: 153,000 people2009: 138,000 people2011: 138,000 people2013: 138,000 people2015: 138,000 people2017: 138,000 people2019: 138,000 people2021: 138,000 people2022: 503,000 people
Change over the period: +353,000 (+235.33%) Average annual rate: 0.98 %

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Ethiopia

Ethiopia 503,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Sub-Saharan Africa computed 1.97M people
Eastern Africa computed 1.12M people
Low-income countries computed 2.98M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Ethiopia, by year Ethiopia All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 503,000 +365,000 +264.49%
2021 138,000 +0 +0%
2020 138,000 +0 +0%
2019 138,000 +0 +0%
2018 138,000 +0 +0%
2017 138,000 +0 +0%
2016 138,000 +0 +0%
2015 138,000 +0 +0%
2014 138,000 +0 +0%
2013 138,000 +0 +0%
2012 138,000 +0 +0%
2011 138,000 +0 +0%
2010 138,000 +0 +0%
2009 138,000 +0 +0%
2008 138,000 −15,000 −9.8%
2007 153,000 −30,000 −16.39%
2006 183,000 +0 +0%
2005 183,000 +10,000 +5.78%
2004 173,000 +9,000 +5.49%
2003 164,000 −88,000 −34.92%
2002 252,000 +0 +0%
2001 252,000 −100,000 −28.41%
2000 352,000 +52,000 +17.33%
1999 300,000 +100,000 +50%
1998 200,000 +100,000 +100%
1997 100,000 +0 +0%
1996 100,000 −20,000 −16.67%
1995 120,000 +0 +0%
1994 120,000 +0 +0%
1993 120,000 +0 +0%
1992 120,000 +0 +0%
1991 120,000 −130,000 −52%
1990 250,000 +0 +0%
1989 250,000 +0 +0%
1988 250,000 −50,000 −16.67%
1987 300,000 +0 +0%
1986 300,000 +60,000 +25%
1985 240,000 +50,000 +26.32%
1984 190,000 −50,000 −20.83%
1983 240,000 +0 +0%
1982 240,000 +0 +0%
1981 240,000 −10,000 −4%
1980 250,000 +0 +0%
1979 250,000 +17,000 +7.3%
1978 233,000 +8,000 +3.56%
1977 225,000 +160,000 +246.15%
1976 65,000 +15,000 +30%
1975 50,000 +5,000 +11.11%
1974 45,000 −5,000 −10%
1973 50,000 +0 +0%
1972 50,000 +5,000 +11.11%
1971 45,000 +0 +0%
1970 45,000 +0 +0%
1969 45,000 +0 +0%
1968 45,000 +0 +0%
1967 45,000 +5,000 +12.5%
1966 40,000 −20,000 −33.33%
1965 60,000 +0 +0%
1964 60,000 +5,000 +9.09%
1963 55,000 +25,000 +83.33%
1962 30,000 +3,000 +11.11%
1961 27,000 −2,000 −6.9%
1960 29,000 +0 +0%
1959 29,000 −7,000 −19.44%
1958 36,000 +4,000 +12.5%
1957 32,000 +4,000 +14.29%
1956 28,000 +4,000 +16.67%
1955 24,000 +4,000 +20%
1954 20,000 +0 +0%
1953 20,000 +0 +0%
1952 20,000 +0 +0%
1951 20,000 +0 +0%
1950 20,000 +10,000 +100%
1949 10,000 +0 +0%
1948 10,000 +0 +0%
1947 10,000 +0 +0%
1946 10,000 — —
1936 500,000 +400,000 +400%
1935 100,000 +0 +0%
1934 100,000 +0 +0%
1933 100,000 +0 +0%
1932 100,000 +0 +0%
1931 100,000 +0 +0%
1930 100,000 +0 +0%
1929 100,000 +0 +0%
1928 100,000 +0 +0%
1927 100,000 +0 +0%
1926 100,000 +0 +0%
1925 100,000 +0 +0%
1924 100,000 +0 +0%
1923 100,000 +0 +0%
1922 100,000 +0 +0%
1921 100,000 +0 +0%
1920 100,000 +0 +0%
1919 100,000 −150,000 −60%
1918 250,000 +0 +0%
1917 250,000 +0 +0%
1916 250,000 +0 +0%
1915 250,000 +0 +0%
1914 250,000 +100,000 +66.67%
1913 150,000 +0 +0%
1912 150,000 +0 +0%
1911 150,000 +0 +0%
1910 150,000 +0 +0%
1909 150,000 +0 +0%
1908 150,000 +0 +0%
1907 150,000 +0 +0%
1906 150,000 +0 +0%
1905 150,000 +0 +0%
1904 150,000 +0 +0%
1903 150,000 +0 +0%
1902 150,000 +0 +0%
1901 150,000 +0 +0%
1900 150,000 +0 +0%
1899 150,000 +0 +0%
1898 150,000 — —

Eastern Africa, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

ET Ethiopia 503,000 ER Eritrea 302,000 SS South Sudan 53,000 UG Uganda 45,000 RW Rwanda 33,000 BI Burundi 30,000 ZW Zimbabwe 29,000 TZ Tanzania 27,000 KE Kenya 24,000 ZM Zambia 15,000 MG Madagascar 14,000 SO Somalia 14,000 MW Malawi 11,000 MZ Mozambique 11,000 DJ Djibouti 8,000 MU Mauritius 0 SC Seychelles 0
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

The number of military personnel on active duty. The series was assembled by the Correlates of War project and continued with data of the International Institute for Strategic Studies; unlike the World Bank series, which begins in 1985, it reaches 1816 and makes military buildup over two centuries visible — including both world wars.

Important: Over two hundred years borders and the composition of countries changed, so the series before the middle of the 20th century refers to the territory of the time: comparing adjacent years is reliable, comparing 1830 with 2020 only loosely so.

Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.

Other indicators for Ethiopia

Defense Armed forces personnel

The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.

Ethiopia by year Defense Armed forces as a share of the population

What share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.

Ethiopia by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Ethiopia by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Ethiopia by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Ethiopia by year Defense Arms exports

Transfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).

Ethiopia by year
All indicators for Ethiopia