Nigeria vs Sudan
Nigeria vs Sudan: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 223,000 people in Nigeria and 144,000 people in Sudan, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Nigeria, by 79,000 people, or 1.55 times that in Sudan.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Nigeria has been higher since 2016, when it overtook Sudan.
- In 2020, Nigeria ranked 30 and Sudan ranked 43 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Nigeria | Sudan | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 223,000 | 144,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 223,000 | 124,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 223,000 | 124,300 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 215,000 | 124,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 200,000 | 124,300 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 200,000 | 264,300 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 162,000 | 264,300 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 162,000 | 264,300 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 162,000 | 264,300 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 162,000 | 264,300 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 162,000 | 126,800 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 162,000 | 126,800 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 162,000 | 127,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 162,000 | 127,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 162,000 | – | 27 million |
| 2005 | 161,000 | 123,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 160,000 | 121,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 160,500 | 114,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 160,500 | 124,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 160,500 | 124,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 106,500 | 119,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 124,000 | 109,700 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 107,000 | 109,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 107,000 | 94,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 89,100 | 104,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 89,100 | 133,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 80,000 | 82,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 76,000 | 82,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 76,000 | 82,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 94,000 | 65,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 94,000 | 65,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 107,000 | 65,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 94,000 | 56,600 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 144,000 | 65,000 | – |
| 1983 | 144,000 | 86,000 | – |
| 1982 | 144,000 | 86,000 | – |
| 1981 | 144,000 | 87,000 | – |
| 1980 | 150,000 | 65,000 | – |
| 1979 | 164,000 | 65,000 | – |
| 1978 | 204,000 | 71,000 | – |
| 1977 | 300,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1976 | 270,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1975 | 270,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1974 | 300,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1973 | 305,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1972 | 305,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1971 | 320,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1970 | 200,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1969 | 110,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1968 | 85,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1967 | 35,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1966 | 30,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1965 | 25,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1964 | 25,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1963 | 25,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1962 | 7,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1961 | 6,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1960 | 5,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1959 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1958 | – | 9,000 | – |
| 1957 | – | 9,000 | – |
| 1956 | – | 9,000 | – |
- 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 Sudan
Health
- Life expectancyNigeria: 54.5 years in 2023Sudan: 66.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024Sudan: 6.2 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sudan: 36.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionNigeria: 3.92% in 2017Sudan: 3.78% in 2017
- Suicide rateNigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Sudan: 5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNigeria: 228 million people in 2023Sudan: 50 million people in 2023
- Population growthNigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023Sudan: 0.02% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023Sudan: 4.32 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNigeria: 63.8% in 2025Sudan: 34.9% in 2025
- Median ageNigeria: 17.8 years in 2023Sudan: 18.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNigeria: 3% in 2023Sudan: 3.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateNigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Sudan: -27 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025Sudan: 0.93% of GDP in 2021
- Military spending in US dollarsNigeria: $1.76B in 2025Sudan: $2.77B in 2021
- Military spending per personNigeria: $9 in 2025Sudan: $8 in 2021
- Military share of state spendingNigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025Sudan: 9.5% of government spending in 2021
- National powerNigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022Sudan: 0.37% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020Sudan: 1.34% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025Sudan: 57 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022Sudan: 11 million TIV in 2013