Ethiopia vs Myanmar (Burma)
Ethiopia vs Myanmar (Burma): Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 138,000 people in Ethiopia and 463,000 people in Myanmar (Burma), by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Myanmar (Burma), by 325,000 people, or 3.36 times that in Ethiopia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Myanmar (Burma) has been higher since 1991, when it overtook Ethiopia.
- In 2020, Ethiopia ranked 44 and Myanmar (Burma) ranked 14 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Ethiopia | Myanmar (Burma) | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 138,000 | 463,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 138,000 | 513,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 138,000 | 513,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 138,000 | 513,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 138,000 | 513,300 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 138,000 | 513,300 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 138,000 | 513,300 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 138,000 | 513,300 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 138,000 | 513,300 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 138,000 | 513,300 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 138,000 | 513,300 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 138,000 | 513,300 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 138,000 | 513,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 138,000 | 513,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | – | 513,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 183,000 | 483,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 182,000 | 482,300 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 162,400 | 595,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 252,500 | 544,300 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 252,500 | 444,300 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 352,500 | 429,100 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 325,500 | 429,100 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 120,000 | 434,900 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 120,000 | 429,100 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 120,000 | 406,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 120,000 | 371,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 120,000 | 322,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 120,000 | 322,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 120,000 | 286,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 120,000 | 286,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 250,000 | 230,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 250,000 | 200,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 217,000 | 186,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 190,000 | 181,000 | – |
| 1983 | 240,000 | 179,000 | – |
| 1982 | 240,000 | 210,000 | – |
| 1981 | 240,000 | 210,000 | – |
| 1980 | 250,000 | 179,000 | – |
| 1979 | 250,000 | 212,000 | – |
| 1978 | 233,000 | 212,000 | – |
| 1977 | 225,000 | 208,000 | – |
| 1976 | 65,000 | 210,000 | – |
| 1975 | 50,000 | 209,000 | – |
| 1974 | 45,000 | 202,000 | – |
| 1973 | 50,000 | 198,000 | – |
| 1972 | 50,000 | 191,000 | – |
| 1971 | 45,000 | 175,000 | – |
| 1970 | 45,000 | 174,000 | – |
| 1969 | 45,000 | 173,000 | – |
| 1968 | 45,000 | 136,000 | – |
| 1967 | 45,000 | 136,000 | – |
| 1966 | 40,000 | 135,000 | – |
| 1965 | 60,000 | 133,000 | – |
| 1964 | 60,000 | 123,000 | – |
| 1963 | 55,000 | 105,000 | – |
| 1962 | 30,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1961 | 27,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1960 | 29,000 | 79,000 | – |
| 1959 | 29,000 | 67,000 | – |
| 1958 | 36,000 | 56,000 | – |
| 1957 | 32,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1956 | 28,000 | 33,000 | – |
| 1955 | 24,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1954 | 20,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1953 | 20,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1952 | 20,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1951 | 20,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1950 | 20,000 | 6,000 | – |
| 1949 | 10,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1948 | 10,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1947 | 10,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 10,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 500,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1919 | 100,000 | – | – |
| 1918 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1917 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1916 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1915 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1914 | 250,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1910 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1909 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1908 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1907 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1906 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1905 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1904 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1903 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1902 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1901 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1900 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1899 | 150,000 | – | – |
| 1898 | 150,000 | – | – |
- 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
Ethiopia vs Myanmar (Burma)
Health
- Life expectancyEthiopia: 67.3 years in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 66.9 years in 2023
- Child mortalityEthiopia: 4.5 per 100 live births in 2024Myanmar (Burma): 3.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityEthiopia: 33 per 1,000 live births in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 31.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterEthiopia: 13.2% in 2022Myanmar (Burma): 57.4% in 2022
- DepressionEthiopia: 3.82% in 2017Myanmar (Burma): 2.3% in 2017
- Suicide rateEthiopia: 9.6 per 100,000 people in 2017Myanmar (Burma): 5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationEthiopia: 129 million people in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 54.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthEthiopia: 2.59% a year in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 0.69% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateEthiopia: 3.99 births per woman in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 2.12 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationEthiopia: 24.1% in 2025Myanmar (Burma): 30.6% in 2025
- Median ageEthiopia: 18.7 years in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 29.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overEthiopia: 3.2% in 2023Myanmar (Burma): 7.1% in 2023
- Net migration rateEthiopia: -0.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Myanmar (Burma): -0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personEthiopia: $945 in 2025Myanmar (Burma): $1,128 in 2025
- GDP growthEthiopia: 8.1% a year in 2024Myanmar (Burma): -12% a year in 2021
- InflationEthiopia: 26.6% a year in 2024Myanmar (Burma): 27.6% a year in 2023
- Government debtEthiopia: 33.5% of GDP in 2024Myanmar (Burma): 37.6% of GDP in 2019
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingEthiopia: 0.49% of GDP in 2025Myanmar (Burma): 6.61% of GDP in 2024
- Military spending in US dollarsEthiopia: $785M in 2025Myanmar (Burma): $4.65B in 2024
- Military spending per personEthiopia: $4 in 2025Myanmar (Burma): $92 in 2024
- Military share of state spendingEthiopia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025Myanmar (Burma): 32% of government spending in 2024
- National powerEthiopia: 0.85% of world capability in 2022Myanmar (Burma): 0.53% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersEthiopia: 0.28% of the labour force in 2020Myanmar (Burma): 1.94% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsEthiopia: 63 million TIV in 2025Myanmar (Burma): 70 million TIV in 2025