Liberia vs Sierra Leone
Liberia vs Sierra Leone: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 2,000 people in Liberia and 9,000 people in Sierra Leone, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Sierra Leone, by 7,000 people, or 4.5 times that in Liberia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Sierra Leone has been higher since 2006, when it overtook Liberia.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Liberia | Sierra Leone | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,000 | 9,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 2,000 | 9,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 2,100 | 8,500 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 2,000 | 9,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 2,050 | 8,500 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 2,050 | 8,500 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 2,050 | 8,500 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 2,050 | 10,500 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 2,050 | 10,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 2,050 | 10,500 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 2,040 | 10,500 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 2,040 | 10,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 2,000 | 11,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 2,000 | 11,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 2,000 | 11,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 15,000 | 13,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | – | 13,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 15,000 | 13,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 15,000 | 13,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 15,000 | 6,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 15,000 | 3,800 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 5,300 | 3,800 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 14,000 | 5,800 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 22,000 | 15,800 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 22,000 | 15,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 21,000 | 7,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | – | 5,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | – | 5,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 2,000 | 8,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 5,000 | 5,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 8,000 | 5,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 7,000 | 4,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 6,800 | 3,100 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 6,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1983 | 5,000 | 6,000 | – |
| 1982 | 5,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1981 | 5,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1980 | 7,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1979 | 7,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1978 | 7,000 | 1,000 | – |
| 1977 | 4,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1976 | 6,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1975 | 6,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1974 | 6,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1973 | 6,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1972 | 6,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1971 | 5,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1970 | 5,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1969 | 5,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1968 | 5,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1967 | 4,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1966 | 4,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1965 | 4,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1964 | 4,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1963 | 4,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1962 | 3,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1961 | 2,000 | 1,000 | – |
| 1960 | 3,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1947 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1945 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1942 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 4,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 1,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 5,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 2,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 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
Liberia vs Sierra Leone
Health
- Life expectancyLiberia: 62.2 years in 2023Sierra Leone: 61.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityLiberia: 8.6 per 100 live births in 2024Sierra Leone: 9.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityLiberia: 55.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sierra Leone: 71.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionLiberia: 3.8% in 2017Sierra Leone: 3.58% in 2017
- Suicide rateLiberia: 13.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Sierra Leone: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationLiberia: 5.49 million people in 2023Sierra Leone: 8.46 million people in 2023
- Population growthLiberia: 2.2% a year in 2023Sierra Leone: 2.18% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateLiberia: 3.95 births per woman in 2023Sierra Leone: 3.79 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationLiberia: 56.1% in 2025Sierra Leone: 45.9% in 2025
- Median ageLiberia: 18.4 years in 2023Sierra Leone: 19.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overLiberia: 3.3% in 2023Sierra Leone: 3.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateLiberia: -0.9 per 1,000 people in 2023Sierra Leone: -0.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingLiberia: 0.85% of GDP in 2025Sierra Leone: 0.37% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsLiberia: $40.3M in 2025Sierra Leone: $29.5M in 2025
- Military spending per personLiberia: $8 in 2025Sierra Leone: $4 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingLiberia: 3.9% of government spending in 2025Sierra Leone: 2.5% of government spending in 2025
- National powerLiberia: 0.03% of world capability in 2022Sierra Leone: 0.04% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersLiberia: 0.09% of the labour force in 2020Sierra Leone: 0.35% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsLiberia: 0 TIV in 2025Sierra Leone: 2 million TIV in 2016