Ghana vs Mali
Ghana vs Mali: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 16,000 people in Ghana and 41,000 people in Mali, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Mali, by 25,000 people, or 2.56 times that in Ghana.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Mali has been higher since 2015, when it overtook Ghana.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Ghana | Mali | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 16,000 | 41,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 16,000 | 21,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 15,500 | 21,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 16,000 | 18,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 15,500 | 17,800 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 15,500 | 15,800 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 15,500 | 13,800 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 15,500 | 11,800 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 15,500 | 7,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 15,500 | 12,150 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 15,500 | 12,150 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 15,500 | 12,150 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 14,000 | 12,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 14,000 | 12,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | – | 12,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 7,000 | 12,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 7,000 | 11,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 7,000 | 12,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 7,000 | 15,200 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 7,000 | 15,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 8,000 | 15,200 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 8,000 | 15,200 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 8,000 | 15,150 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 8,000 | 15,150 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 14,500 | 15,200 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 12,800 | 15,200 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 7,000 | 12,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 7,000 | 12,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 7,000 | 12,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 9,000 | 13,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 9,000 | 13,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 16,000 | 8,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 15,100 | 4,900 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 15,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1983 | 8,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1982 | 9,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1981 | 9,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1980 | 14,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1979 | 15,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1978 | 19,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1977 | 18,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1976 | 20,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1975 | 20,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1974 | 35,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1973 | 40,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1972 | 40,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1971 | 35,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1970 | 35,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1969 | 35,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1968 | 35,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1967 | 30,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1966 | 30,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1965 | 25,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1964 | 25,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1963 | 18,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1962 | 10,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1961 | 10,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1960 | 5,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1959 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 2,000 | – | – |
- 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
Ghana vs Mali
Health
- Life expectancyGhana: 65.5 years in 2023Mali: 60.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGhana: 3.6 per 100 live births in 2024Mali: 7.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGhana: 30.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Mali: 60.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionGhana: 3.4% in 2017Mali: 3.01% in 2017
- Suicide rateGhana: 9.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Mali: 6.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGhana: 33.8 million people in 2023Mali: 23.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthGhana: 1.9% a year in 2023Mali: 2.97% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGhana: 3.4 births per woman in 2023Mali: 5.61 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGhana: 58.9% in 2025Mali: 32.2% in 2025
- Median ageGhana: 20.9 years in 2023Mali: 15.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGhana: 3.6% in 2023Mali: 2.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateGhana: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Mali: -1.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGhana: 0.48% of GDP in 2025Mali: 3.87% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGhana: $385M in 2025Mali: $883M in 2025
- Military spending per personGhana: $15 in 2025Mali: $38 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGhana: 2.4% of government spending in 2025Mali: 14.8% of government spending in 2025
- National powerGhana: 0.17% of world capability in 2022Mali: 0.1% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGhana: 0.13% of the labour force in 2020Mali: 0.54% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGhana: 5 million TIV in 2025Mali: 64 million TIV in 2025