Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2022 — 1,974,000 people. Since 1965, the indicator has risen by 464%.
1965–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sub-Saharan Africa
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.97M | +496,000 | +33.56% |
| 2021 | 1.48M | −131,000 | −8.14% |
| 2020 | 1.61M | +39,000 | +2.48% |
| 2019 | 1.57M | +19,000 | +1.23% |
| 2018 | 1.55M | −122,000 | −7.29% |
| 2017 | 1.67M | +43,000 | +2.64% |
| 2016 | 1.63M | +18,000 | +1.12% |
| 2015 | 1.61M | −32,000 | −1.95% |
| 2014 | 1.64M | +20,000 | +1.23% |
| 2013 | 1.62M | +182,000 | +12.62% |
| 2012 | 1.44M | +145,000 | +11.18% |
| 2011 | 1.3M | +2,000 | +0.15% |
| 2010 | 1.3M | +2,000 | +0.15% |
| 2009 | 1.29M | +7,000 | +0.54% |
| 2008 | 1.29M | +68,000 | +5.58% |
| 2007 | 1.22M | −94,000 | −7.16% |
| 2006 | 1.31M | −121,000 | −8.44% |
| 2005 | 1.43M | +43,000 | +3.09% |
| 2004 | 1.39M | +40,000 | +2.96% |
| 2003 | 1.35M | −49,000 | −3.5% |
| 2002 | 1.4M | −19,000 | −1.34% |
| 2001 | 1.42M | −72,000 | −4.83% |
| 2000 | 1.49M | +24,000 | +1.64% |
| 1999 | 1.47M | +261,000 | +21.66% |
| 1998 | 1.21M | +154,000 | +14.65% |
| 1997 | 1.05M | −11,000 | −1.04% |
| 1996 | 1.06M | +3,000 | +0.28% |
| 1995 | 1.06M | −17,000 | −1.58% |
| 1994 | 1.08M | −56,000 | −4.95% |
| 1993 | 1.13M | +39,000 | +3.57% |
| 1992 | 1.09M | −67,000 | −5.78% |
| 1991 | 1.16M | −112,000 | −8.81% |
| 1990 | 1.27M | −1,000 | −0.08% |
| 1989 | 1.27M | +21,000 | +1.68% |
| 1988 | 1.25M | −16,000 | −1.26% |
| 1987 | 1.27M | +42,000 | +3.43% |
| 1986 | 1.23M | +73,000 | +6.33% |
| 1985 | 1.15M | +49,000 | +4.44% |
| 1984 | 1.1M | −38,000 | −3.33% |
| 1983 | 1.14M | +41,000 | +3.72% |
| 1982 | 1.1M | −18,000 | −1.61% |
| 1981 | 1.12M | +57,000 | +5.37% |
| 1980 | 1.06M | +56,000 | +5.57% |
| 1979 | 1.01M | −72,000 | −6.68% |
| 1978 | 1.08M | −31,000 | −2.8% |
| 1977 | 1.11M | +238,000 | +27.32% |
| 1976 | 871,000 | +69,000 | +8.6% |
| 1975 | 802,000 | +30,000 | +3.89% |
| 1974 | 772,000 | +24,000 | +3.21% |
| 1973 | 748,000 | −13,000 | −1.71% |
| 1972 | 761,000 | +38,000 | +5.26% |
| 1971 | 723,000 | +149,000 | +25.96% |
| 1970 | 574,000 | +90,000 | +18.6% |
| 1969 | 484,000 | +52,000 | +12.04% |
| 1968 | 432,000 | +59,000 | +15.82% |
| 1967 | 373,000 | +16,000 | +4.48% |
| 1966 | 357,000 | +7,000 | +2% |
| 1965 | 350,000 | — | — |
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.
The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.
Defense Armed forces as a share of the populationWhat share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.
Defense Military expenditure in dollarsThe absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.
Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)The share of GDP a country spends on defense.
Defense Military expenditure share of the budgetWhat part of government spending goes to defense.
Defense Arms exportsTransfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).