Nigeria vs Poland
Nigeria vs Poland: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 223,000 people in Nigeria and 189,000 people in Poland, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Nigeria, by 34,000 people, or 1.18 times that in Poland.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Nigeria has been higher since 2015, when it overtook Poland.
- In 2020, Nigeria ranked 30 and Poland ranked 34 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Nigeria | Poland | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 223,000 | 189,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 223,000 | 189,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 223,000 | 196,700 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 215,000 | 191,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 200,000 | 178,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 200,000 | 172,700 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 162,000 | 172,700 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 162,000 | 172,700 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 162,000 | 172,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 162,000 | 118,100 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 162,000 | 121,400 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 162,000 | 121,400 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 162,000 | 143,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 162,000 | 142,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 162,000 | 148,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 161,000 | 162,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 160,000 | 162,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 160,500 | 184,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 160,500 | 184,400 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 160,500 | 228,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 106,500 | 238,800 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 124,000 | 264,100 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 107,000 | 264,100 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 107,000 | 265,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 89,100 | 272,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 89,100 | 302,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 80,000 | 255,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 76,000 | 260,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 76,000 | 270,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 94,000 | 305,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 94,000 | 313,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 107,000 | 350,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 94,000 | 319,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 144,000 | 434,000 | – |
| 1983 | 144,000 | 426,000 | – |
| 1982 | 144,000 | 420,000 | – |
| 1981 | 144,000 | 414,000 | – |
| 1980 | 150,000 | 408,000 | – |
| 1979 | 164,000 | 399,000 | – |
| 1978 | 204,000 | 382,000 | – |
| 1977 | 300,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1976 | 270,000 | 435,000 | – |
| 1975 | 270,000 | 435,000 | – |
| 1974 | 300,000 | 366,000 | – |
| 1973 | 305,000 | 328,000 | – |
| 1972 | 305,000 | 318,000 | – |
| 1971 | 320,000 | 315,000 | – |
| 1970 | 200,000 | 314,000 | – |
| 1969 | 110,000 | 312,000 | – |
| 1968 | 85,000 | 310,000 | – |
| 1967 | 35,000 | 305,000 | – |
| 1966 | 30,000 | 303,000 | – |
| 1965 | 25,000 | 302,000 | – |
| 1964 | 25,000 | 302,000 | – |
| 1963 | 25,000 | 303,000 | – |
| 1962 | 7,000 | 310,000 | – |
| 1961 | 6,000 | 305,000 | – |
| 1960 | 5,000 | 200,000 | – |
| 1959 | – | 200,000 | – |
| 1958 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1957 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1956 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1955 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1954 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1953 | – | 450,000 | – |
| 1952 | – | 450,000 | – |
| 1951 | – | 400,000 | – |
| 1950 | – | 328,000 | – |
| 1949 | – | 255,000 | – |
| 1948 | – | 204,000 | – |
| 1947 | – | 168,000 | – |
| 1946 | – | 132,000 | – |
| 1945 | – | 197,000 | – |
| 1939 | – | 275,000 | – |
| 1938 | – | 308,000 | – |
| 1937 | – | 281,000 | – |
| 1936 | – | 272,000 | – |
| 1935 | – | 271,000 | – |
| 1934 | – | 272,000 | – |
| 1933 | – | 269,000 | – |
| 1932 | – | 269,000 | – |
| 1931 | – | 269,000 | – |
| 1930 | – | 263,000 | – |
| 1929 | – | 268,000 | – |
| 1928 | – | 268,000 | – |
| 1927 | – | 265,000 | – |
| 1926 | – | 293,000 | – |
| 1925 | – | 272,000 | – |
| 1924 | – | 278,000 | – |
| 1923 | – | 270,000 | – |
| 1922 | – | 252,000 | – |
| 1921 | – | 255,000 | – |
| 1920 | – | 962,000 | – |
| 1919 | – | 300,000 | – |
- 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
Nigeria vs Poland
Health
- Life expectancyNigeria: 54.5 years in 2023Poland: 78.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024Poland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Poland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNigeria: 29% in 2022Poland: 88.9% in 2022
- DepressionNigeria: 3.92% in 2017Poland: 2.25% in 2017
- Suicide rateNigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Poland: 14 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNigeria: 228 million people in 2023Poland: 38.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthNigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023Poland: -0.26% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023Poland: 1.3 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNigeria: 63.8% in 2025Poland: 60.1% in 2025
- Median ageNigeria: 17.8 years in 2023Poland: 41.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNigeria: 3% in 2023Poland: 19.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateNigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Poland: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025Poland: 4.5% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNigeria: $1.76B in 2025Poland: $42.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personNigeria: $9 in 2025Poland: $1,219 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025Poland: 9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerNigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022Poland: 0.52% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020Poland: 1.04% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025Poland: 2.17 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022Poland: 59 million TIV in 2025