Cameroon vs Kenya
Cameroon vs Kenya: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 34,000 people in Cameroon and 24,000 people in Kenya, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Cameroon, by 10,000 people, or 1.42 times that in Kenya.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Cameroon has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Kenya.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Cameroon | Kenya | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 34,000 | 24,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 34,000 | 29,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 34,400 | 29,100 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 24,000 | 29,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 23,400 | 29,100 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 23,400 | 29,100 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 23,200 | 29,100 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 23,200 | 29,100 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 23,200 | 29,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 23,100 | 29,100 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 23,200 | 29,120 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 23,100 | 29,120 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 23,000 | 29,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 23,000 | 29,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | – | – | 27 million |
| 2005 | 23,000 | 29,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 23,000 | 29,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 32,100 | 29,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 32,100 | 29,400 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 31,100 | 29,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 22,100 | 27,200 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 22,100 | 29,200 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 22,100 | 29,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 22,100 | 29,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 22,100 | 29,200 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 23,600 | 29,200 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 12,000 | 22,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 12,000 | 24,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 12,000 | 24,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 24,000 | 20,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 23,000 | 20,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 21,000 | 20,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 7,300 | 13,700 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 15,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1983 | 15,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1982 | 14,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1981 | 14,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1980 | 11,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1979 | 11,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1978 | 11,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1977 | 11,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1976 | 10,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1975 | 10,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1974 | 10,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1973 | 8,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1972 | 8,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1971 | 8,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1970 | 8,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1969 | 8,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1968 | 7,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1967 | 8,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1966 | 8,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1965 | 8,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1964 | 6,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1963 | 8,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1962 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1960 | 1,000 | – | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Cameroon vs Kenya
Health
- Life expectancyCameroon: 63.7 years in 2023Kenya: 63.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCameroon: 6.5 per 100 live births in 2024Kenya: 3.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCameroon: 47.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023Kenya: 29.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionCameroon: 3.75% in 2017Kenya: 3.51% in 2017
- Suicide rateCameroon: 14 per 100,000 people in 2017Kenya: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCameroon: 28.4 million people in 2023Kenya: 55.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthCameroon: 2.64% a year in 2023Kenya: 1.97% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCameroon: 4.32 births per woman in 2023Kenya: 3.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCameroon: 55.7% in 2025Kenya: 32.2% in 2025
- Median ageCameroon: 17.8 years in 2023Kenya: 19.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCameroon: 2.8% in 2023Kenya: 2.9% in 2023
- Net migration rateCameroon: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Kenya: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCameroon: 1.06% of GDP in 2025Kenya: 1.07% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCameroon: $580M in 2025Kenya: $1.36B in 2025
- Military spending per personCameroon: $21 in 2025Kenya: $26 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCameroon: 6.5% of government spending in 2025Kenya: 4.6% of government spending in 2025
- National powerCameroon: 0.16% of world capability in 2022Kenya: 0.23% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCameroon: 0.34% of the labour force in 2020Kenya: 0.11% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCameroon: 2 million TIV in 2023Kenya: 117 million TIV in 2025