Eritrea vs Sudan: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 202,000 people in Eritrea and 144,000 people in Sudan, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Eritrea, by 58,000 people, or 1.4 times that in Sudan.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

EritreaSudanWorld

What the numbers say

Eritrea has been higher since 2016, when it overtook Sudan.
In 2020, Eritrea ranked 31 and Sudan ranked 43 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

Year	Eritrea	Sudan	World
2020	202,000	144,000	27.4 million
2019	202,000	124,000	27.7 million
2018	201,800	124,300	27.7 million
2017	202,000	124,000	27.4 million
2016	201,800	124,300	27.5 million
2015	201,800	264,300	27.4 million
2014	201,800	264,300	27.3 million
2013	201,800	264,300	27.2 million
2012	201,800	264,300	28.2 million
2011	201,800	264,300	28 million
2010	201,800	126,800	28.1 million
2009	201,800	126,800	27.9 million
2008	202,000	127,000	27.5 million
2007	202,000	127,000	27.3 million
2006	–	–	27 million
2005	202,000	123,000	28.5 million
2004	201,000	121,000	27.1 million
2003	202,000	114,500	28.2 million
2002	172,200	124,000	28.3 million
2001	171,900	124,000	28.2 million
2000	200,000	119,500	29.4 million
1999	200,000	109,700	29.6 million
1998	47,100	109,700	29.9 million
1997	46,000	94,700	29.9 million
1996	55,000	104,000	30.2 million
1995	55,000	133,500	30.2 million
1994	55,000	82,000	23.2 million
1993	55,000	82,000	23.7 million
1992	–	82,000	24.5 million
1991	–	65,000	22.7 million
1990	–	65,000	23.9 million
1989	–	65,000	24.3 million
1985	–	56,600	22.2 million
1984	–	65,000	–
1983	–	86,000	–
1982	–	86,000	–
1981	–	87,000	–
1980	–	65,000	–
1979	–	65,000	–
1978	–	71,000	–
1977	–	50,000	–
1976	–	50,000	–
1975	–	50,000	–
1974	–	35,000	–
1973	–	35,000	–
1972	–	35,000	–
1971	–	35,000	–
1970	–	25,000	–
1969	–	25,000	–
1968	–	20,000	–
1967	–	20,000	–
1966	–	20,000	–
1965	–	18,000	–
1964	–	18,000	–
1963	–	17,000	–
1962	–	18,000	–
1961	–	18,000	–
1960	–	10,000	–
1959	–	10,000	–
1958	–	9,000	–
1957	–	9,000	–
1956	–	9,000	–

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

Eritrea vs Sudan: Armed forces personnel

What the numbers say

Every year

Each country on its own

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