Contact Contacts
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Sierra Leone

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Sierra Leone in 2022 — 9,000 people. Ranked 127 in the world out of 189. Since 1961, the indicator has risen by 800%.

2022 9,000 people +0% vs 2021
World rank 127of 189
Period maximum 13,000 people2002
Period minimum 1,000 people1961

Trend over time

1961–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Sierra Leone, 1961–202205,00010,00015,00019611968197519821989199620032010201720221961: 1,000 people1963: 3,000 people1965: 3,000 people1967: 3,000 people1969: 4,000 people1971: 3,000 people1973: 3,000 people1975: 5,000 people1977: 4,000 people1979: 2,000 people1981: 4,000 people1983: 6,000 people1985: 4,000 people1987: 6,000 people1989: 4,000 people1991: 5,000 people1993: 5,000 people1995: 5,000 people1997: 5,000 people1999: 3,000 people2001: 6,000 people2003: 13,000 people2005: 13,000 people2007: 11,000 people2009: 11,000 people2011: 11,000 people2013: 11,000 people2015: 11,000 people2017: 9,000 people2019: 9,000 people2021: 9,000 people2022: 9,000 people
Change over the period: +8,000 (+800%) Average annual rate: 3.67 %

Comparison, 2022

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

Sierra Leone 9,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Sub-Saharan Africa computed 1.97M people
Western Africa computed 332,000 people
Low-income countries computed 2.98M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Sierra Leone, by year Sierra Leone All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 9,000 +0 +0%
2021 9,000 +0 +0%
2020 9,000 +0 +0%
2019 9,000 +0 +0%
2018 9,000 +0 +0%
2017 9,000 +0 +0%
2016 9,000 −2,000 −18.18%
2015 11,000 +0 +0%
2014 11,000 +0 +0%
2013 11,000 +0 +0%
2012 11,000 +0 +0%
2011 11,000 +0 +0%
2010 11,000 +0 +0%
2009 11,000 +0 +0%
2008 11,000 +0 +0%
2007 11,000 −2,000 −15.38%
2006 13,000 +0 +0%
2005 13,000 +0 +0%
2004 13,000 +0 +0%
2003 13,000 +0 +0%
2002 13,000 +7,000 +116.67%
2001 6,000 +3,000 +100%
2000 3,000 +0 +0%
1999 3,000 −1,000 −25%
1998 4,000 −1,000 −20%
1997 5,000 +0 +0%
1996 5,000 +0 +0%
1995 5,000 +0 +0%
1994 5,000 +0 +0%
1993 5,000 −3,000 −37.5%
1992 8,000 +3,000 +60%
1991 5,000 +0 +0%
1990 5,000 +1,000 +25%
1989 4,000 +0 +0%
1988 4,000 −2,000 −33.33%
1987 6,000 +2,000 +50%
1986 4,000 +0 +0%
1985 4,000 +0 +0%
1984 4,000 −2,000 −33.33%
1983 6,000 +2,000 +50%
1982 4,000 +0 +0%
1981 4,000 +2,000 +100%
1980 2,000 +0 +0%
1979 2,000 +1,000 +100%
1978 1,000 −3,000 −75%
1977 4,000 +1,000 +33.33%
1976 3,000 −2,000 −40%
1975 5,000 +0 +0%
1974 5,000 +2,000 +66.67%
1973 3,000 +0 +0%
1972 3,000 +0 +0%
1971 3,000 +0 +0%
1970 3,000 −1,000 −25%
1969 4,000 +1,000 +33.33%
1968 3,000 +0 +0%
1967 3,000 +0 +0%
1966 3,000 +0 +0%
1965 3,000 +0 +0%
1964 3,000 +0 +0%
1963 3,000 +1,000 +50%
1962 2,000 +1,000 +100%
1961 1,000 — —

Western Africa, 2022

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

NG Nigeria 143,000 NE Niger 33,000 CI Côte d'Ivoire 27,000 ML Mali 21,000 GH Ghana 16,000 MR Mauritania 16,000 SN Senegal 14,000 TG Togo 13,000 BJ Benin 12,000 GN Guinea 10,000 SL Sierra Leone 9,000 BF Burkina Faso 7,000 GM Gambia 4,000 GW Guinea-Bissau 4,000 LR Liberia 2,000 CV Cabo Verde 1,000
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 Sierra Leone

Defense Armed forces personnel

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

Sierra Leone 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.

Sierra Leone by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Sierra Leone by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Sierra Leone by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Sierra Leone by year
All indicators for Sierra Leone