Malawi vs Somalia
Malawi vs Somalia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 15,000 people in Malawi and 14,000 people in Somalia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Malawi, by 1,000 people, or 1.07 times that in Somalia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Malawi has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Somalia.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Malawi | Somalia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 15,000 | 14,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 15,000 | 20,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 14,700 | 19,800 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 15,000 | 20,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 14,900 | 19,800 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 6,800 | 19,800 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 6,800 | 17,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 6,800 | 11,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 6,800 | 20,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 6,800 | 3,200 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 5,300 | 2,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 5,300 | 2,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 7,000 | – | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 7,000 | – | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 7,000 | – | 27 million |
| 2005 | 7,000 | – | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 6,000 | – | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 6,800 | – | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 6,800 | – | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 6,800 | – | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 6,000 | 50,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 6,000 | 50,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 6,000 | 225,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 6,000 | 225,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 10,800 | 225,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 9,500 | 225,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 10,000 | – | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 10,000 | – | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 10,000 | – | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 8,000 | – | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 7,000 | 47,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 7,000 | 47,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 5,300 | 62,700 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 6,000 | 43,000 | – |
| 1983 | 6,000 | 48,000 | – |
| 1982 | 6,000 | 54,000 | – |
| 1981 | 6,000 | 54,000 | – |
| 1980 | 4,000 | 54,000 | – |
| 1979 | 3,000 | 54,000 | – |
| 1978 | 3,000 | 54,000 | – |
| 1977 | 4,000 | 53,000 | – |
| 1976 | 4,000 | 31,000 | – |
| 1975 | 5,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1974 | 5,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1973 | 5,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1972 | 4,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1971 | 4,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1970 | 4,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1969 | 5,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1968 | 4,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1967 | 4,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1966 | 4,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1965 | 4,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1964 | 0 | 11,000 | – |
| 1963 | – | 9,000 | – |
| 1962 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1961 | – | 4,000 | – |
| 1960 | – | 4,000 | – |
- 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
Malawi vs Somalia
Health
- Life expectancyMalawi: 67.4 years in 2023Somalia: 58.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalawi: 4.9 per 100 live births in 2024Somalia: 10.1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalawi: 29.6 per 1,000 live births in 2023Somalia: 66.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionMalawi: 3.45% in 2017Somalia: 3.79% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalawi: 12.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Somalia: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalawi: 21.1 million people in 2023Somalia: 18.4 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalawi: 2.57% a year in 2023Somalia: 3.57% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalawi: 3.65 births per woman in 2023Somalia: 6.13 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalawi: 17.6% in 2025Somalia: 55.1% in 2025
- Median ageMalawi: 17.6 years in 2023Somalia: 15.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalawi: 2.6% in 2023Somalia: 2.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalawi: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Somalia: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalawi: 1.15% of GDP in 2025Somalia: 1.54% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalawi: $128M in 2025Somalia: $193M in 2025
- Military spending per personMalawi: $7 in 2025Somalia: $10 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalawi: 3.8% of government spending in 2025Somalia: 20.8% of government spending in 2025
- National powerMalawi: 0.07% of world capability in 2022Somalia: 0.13% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalawi: 0.2% of the labour force in 2020Somalia: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalawi: 2 million TIV in 2024Somalia: 2 million TIV in 2025