Colombia vs Nigeria
Colombia vs Nigeria: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 428,000 people in Colombia and 223,000 people in Nigeria, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Colombia, by 205,000 people, or 1.92 times that in Nigeria.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Colombia has been higher since 1990, when it overtook Nigeria.
- In 2020, Colombia ranked 17 and Nigeria ranked 30 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Colombia | Nigeria | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 428,000 | 223,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 481,000 | 223,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 481,200 | 223,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 481,000 | 215,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 481,100 | 200,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 481,100 | 200,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 455,800 | 162,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 455,800 | 162,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 440,200 | 162,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 440,200 | 162,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 441,800 | 162,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 441,800 | 162,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 411,000 | 162,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 411,000 | 162,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 398,000 | 162,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 336,000 | 161,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 336,000 | 160,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 304,600 | 160,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 262,600 | 160,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 262,600 | 160,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 247,000 | 106,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 231,000 | 124,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 233,300 | 107,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 233,300 | 107,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 233,300 | 89,100 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 233,400 | 89,100 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 146,000 | 80,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 139,000 | 76,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 139,000 | 76,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 110,000 | 94,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 110,000 | 94,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 91,000 | 107,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 66,200 | 94,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 70,000 | 144,000 | – |
| 1983 | 70,000 | 144,000 | – |
| 1982 | 70,000 | 144,000 | – |
| 1981 | 65,000 | 144,000 | – |
| 1980 | 60,000 | 150,000 | – |
| 1979 | 60,000 | 164,000 | – |
| 1978 | 60,000 | 204,000 | – |
| 1977 | 60,000 | 300,000 | – |
| 1976 | 60,000 | 270,000 | – |
| 1975 | 50,000 | 270,000 | – |
| 1974 | 50,000 | 300,000 | – |
| 1973 | 50,000 | 305,000 | – |
| 1972 | 50,000 | 305,000 | – |
| 1971 | 50,000 | 320,000 | – |
| 1970 | 45,000 | 200,000 | – |
| 1969 | 50,000 | 110,000 | – |
| 1968 | 50,000 | 85,000 | – |
| 1967 | 50,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1966 | 50,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1965 | 50,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1964 | 55,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1963 | 50,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1962 | 55,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1961 | 55,000 | 6,000 | – |
| 1960 | 18,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1959 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 12,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 19,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1947 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 17,000 | – | – |
| 1945 | 11,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 11,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 11,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 18,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 12,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 13,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 13,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 9,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 9,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1919 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1918 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1917 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1916 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1915 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1914 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1910 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1909 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1908 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1907 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1906 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1905 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1904 | 10,000 | – | – |
| 1903 | 15,000 | – | – |
| 1902 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1901 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1900 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1899 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1898 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1897 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1896 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1895 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1894 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1893 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1892 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1891 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1890 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1889 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1888 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1887 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1886 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1885 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1884 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1883 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1882 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1881 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1880 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1879 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1878 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1877 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1876 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1875 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1874 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1873 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1872 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1871 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1870 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1869 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1868 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1867 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1866 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1865 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1864 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1863 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1862 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1861 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1860 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1859 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1858 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1857 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1856 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1855 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1854 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1853 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1852 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1851 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1850 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1849 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1848 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1847 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1846 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1845 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1844 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1843 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1842 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1841 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1840 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1839 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1838 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1837 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1836 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1835 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1834 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1833 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1832 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1831 | 3,000 | – | – |
- 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
Colombia vs Nigeria
Health
- Life expectancyColombia: 77.7 years in 2023Nigeria: 54.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityColombia: 1.2 per 100 live births in 2024Nigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityColombia: 9.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Nigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterColombia: 73.9% in 2022Nigeria: 29% in 2022
- DepressionColombia: 2.2% in 2017Nigeria: 3.92% in 2017
- Suicide rateColombia: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Nigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationColombia: 52.3 million people in 2023Nigeria: 228 million people in 2023
- Population growthColombia: 1.1% a year in 2023Nigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateColombia: 1.65 births per woman in 2023Nigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationColombia: 78.8% in 2025Nigeria: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageColombia: 31.6 years in 2023Nigeria: 17.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overColombia: 9.4% in 2023Nigeria: 3% in 2023
- Net migration rateColombia: 3 per 1,000 people in 2023Nigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingColombia: 3.2% of GDP in 2025Nigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsColombia: $13.7B in 2025Nigeria: $1.76B in 2025
- Military spending per personColombia: $273 in 2025Nigeria: $9 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingColombia: 9.3% of government spending in 2025Nigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerColombia: 0.57% of world capability in 2022Nigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersColombia: 1.7% of the labour force in 2020Nigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsColombia: 22 million TIV in 2025Nigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsColombia: 4 million TIV in 2020Nigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022