Nigeria vs Switzerland
Nigeria vs Switzerland: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 223,000 people in Nigeria and 20,000 people in Switzerland, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Nigeria, by 203,000 people, or 11 times that in Switzerland.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Nigeria has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Nigeria | Switzerland | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 223,000 | 20,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 223,000 | 20,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 223,000 | 21,450 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 215,000 | 21,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 200,000 | 20,950 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 200,000 | 20,950 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 162,000 | 20,800 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 162,000 | 21,250 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 162,000 | 22,650 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 162,000 | 23,100 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 162,000 | 25,290 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 162,000 | 25,620 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 162,000 | 23,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 162,000 | 23,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 162,000 | 23,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 161,000 | 109,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 160,000 | 4,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 160,500 | 27,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 160,500 | 27,600 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 160,500 | 26,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 106,500 | 27,700 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 124,000 | 27,700 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 107,000 | 26,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 107,000 | 26,260 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 89,100 | 27,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 89,100 | 31,400 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 80,000 | 39,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 76,000 | 35,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 76,000 | 31,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 94,000 | 22,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 94,000 | 22,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 107,000 | 17,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 94,000 | 20,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 144,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1983 | 144,000 | 28,000 | – |
| 1982 | 144,000 | 23,000 | – |
| 1981 | 144,000 | 23,000 | – |
| 1980 | 150,000 | 23,000 | – |
| 1979 | 164,000 | 23,000 | – |
| 1978 | 204,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1977 | 300,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1976 | 270,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1975 | 270,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1974 | 300,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1973 | 305,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1972 | 305,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1971 | 320,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1970 | 200,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1969 | 110,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1968 | 85,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1967 | 35,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1966 | 30,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1965 | 25,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1964 | 25,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1963 | 25,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1962 | 7,000 | 29,000 | – |
| 1961 | 6,000 | 29,000 | – |
| 1960 | 5,000 | 0 | – |
| 1959 | – | 0 | – |
| 1958 | – | 0 | – |
| 1957 | – | 0 | – |
| 1956 | – | 0 | – |
| 1955 | – | 0 | – |
| 1954 | – | 0 | – |
| 1953 | – | 0 | – |
| 1952 | – | 0 | – |
| 1951 | – | 0 | – |
| 1950 | – | 0 | – |
| 1949 | – | 0 | – |
| 1948 | – | 0 | – |
| 1947 | – | 0 | – |
| 1946 | – | 0 | – |
| 1945 | – | 525,000 | – |
| 1944 | – | 525,000 | – |
| 1943 | – | 525,000 | – |
| 1942 | – | 525,000 | – |
| 1941 | – | 525,000 | – |
| 1940 | – | 650,000 | – |
| 1939 | – | 0 | – |
| 1938 | – | 0 | – |
| 1937 | – | 0 | – |
| 1936 | – | 0 | – |
| 1935 | – | 0 | – |
| 1934 | – | 0 | – |
| 1933 | – | 0 | – |
| 1932 | – | 0 | – |
| 1931 | – | 0 | – |
| 1930 | – | 0 | – |
| 1929 | – | 0 | – |
| 1928 | – | 0 | – |
| 1927 | – | 0 | – |
| 1926 | – | 0 | – |
| 1925 | – | 0 | – |
| 1924 | – | 0 | – |
| 1923 | – | 0 | – |
| 1922 | – | 0 | – |
| 1921 | – | 0 | – |
| 1920 | – | 0 | – |
| 1919 | – | 0 | – |
| 1918 | – | 250,000 | – |
| 1917 | – | 250,000 | – |
| 1916 | – | 250,000 | – |
| 1915 | – | 250,000 | – |
| 1914 | – | 0 | – |
| 1913 | – | 0 | – |
| 1912 | – | 0 | – |
| 1911 | – | 0 | – |
| 1910 | – | 0 | – |
| 1909 | – | 0 | – |
| 1908 | – | 0 | – |
| 1907 | – | 0 | – |
| 1906 | – | 0 | – |
| 1905 | – | 0 | – |
| 1904 | – | 0 | – |
| 1903 | – | 0 | – |
| 1902 | – | 0 | – |
| 1901 | – | 0 | – |
| 1900 | – | 0 | – |
| 1899 | – | 0 | – |
| 1898 | – | 0 | – |
| 1897 | – | 0 | – |
| 1896 | – | 0 | – |
| 1895 | – | 0 | – |
| 1894 | – | 0 | – |
| 1893 | – | 0 | – |
| 1892 | – | 0 | – |
| 1891 | – | 0 | – |
| 1890 | – | 0 | – |
| 1889 | – | 0 | – |
| 1888 | – | 0 | – |
| 1887 | – | 0 | – |
| 1886 | – | 0 | – |
| 1885 | – | 0 | – |
| 1884 | – | 0 | – |
| 1883 | – | 0 | – |
| 1882 | – | 0 | – |
| 1881 | – | 0 | – |
| 1880 | – | 0 | – |
| 1879 | – | 0 | – |
| 1878 | – | 0 | – |
| 1877 | – | 0 | – |
| 1876 | – | 0 | – |
| 1875 | – | 0 | – |
| 1874 | – | 0 | – |
| 1873 | – | 0 | – |
| 1872 | – | 0 | – |
| 1871 | – | 0 | – |
| 1870 | – | 0 | – |
| 1869 | – | 0 | – |
| 1868 | – | 0 | – |
| 1867 | – | 0 | – |
| 1866 | – | 0 | – |
| 1865 | – | 0 | – |
| 1864 | – | 0 | – |
| 1863 | – | 0 | – |
| 1862 | – | 0 | – |
| 1861 | – | 0 | – |
| 1860 | – | 0 | – |
| 1859 | – | 0 | – |
| 1858 | – | 0 | – |
| 1857 | – | 30,000 | – |
| 1856 | – | 0 | – |
| 1855 | – | 0 | – |
| 1854 | – | 0 | – |
| 1853 | – | 0 | – |
| 1852 | – | 0 | – |
| 1851 | – | 0 | – |
| 1850 | – | 0 | – |
| 1849 | – | 0 | – |
| 1848 | – | 0 | – |
| 1847 | – | 0 | – |
| 1846 | – | 0 | – |
| 1845 | – | 0 | – |
| 1844 | – | 0 | – |
| 1843 | – | 0 | – |
| 1842 | – | 0 | – |
| 1841 | – | 0 | – |
| 1840 | – | 0 | – |
| 1839 | – | 0 | – |
| 1838 | – | 0 | – |
| 1837 | – | 0 | – |
| 1836 | – | 0 | – |
| 1835 | – | 0 | – |
| 1834 | – | 0 | – |
| 1833 | – | 0 | – |
| 1832 | – | 0 | – |
| 1831 | – | 0 | – |
| 1830 | – | 0 | – |
| 1829 | – | 0 | – |
| 1828 | – | 0 | – |
| 1827 | – | 0 | – |
| 1826 | – | 0 | – |
| 1825 | – | 0 | – |
| 1824 | – | 0 | – |
| 1823 | – | 0 | – |
| 1822 | – | 0 | – |
| 1821 | – | 0 | – |
| 1820 | – | 0 | – |
| 1819 | – | 0 | – |
| 1818 | – | 0 | – |
| 1817 | – | 0 | – |
| 1816 | – | 0 | – |
- 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 Switzerland
Health
- Life expectancyNigeria: 54.5 years in 2023Switzerland: 84 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNigeria: 11.6 per 100 live births in 2024Switzerland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNigeria: 69.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Switzerland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNigeria: 29% in 2022Switzerland: 96.7% in 2022
- DepressionNigeria: 3.92% in 2017Switzerland: 3.71% in 2017
- Suicide rateNigeria: 7.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Switzerland: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNigeria: 228 million people in 2023Switzerland: 8.87 million people in 2023
- Population growthNigeria: 2.1% a year in 2023Switzerland: 0.62% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNigeria: 4.48 births per woman in 2023Switzerland: 1.43 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNigeria: 63.8% in 2025Switzerland: 85.7% in 2025
- Median ageNigeria: 17.8 years in 2023Switzerland: 42.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNigeria: 3% in 2023Switzerland: 19.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateNigeria: -0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Switzerland: 5.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNigeria: 0.91% of GDP in 2025Switzerland: 0.76% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNigeria: $1.76B in 2025Switzerland: $7.15B in 2025
- Military spending per personNigeria: $9 in 2025Switzerland: $849 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNigeria: 5.9% of government spending in 2025Switzerland: 2.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerNigeria: 1.16% of world capability in 2022Switzerland: 0.12% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNigeria: 0.23% of the labour force in 2020Switzerland: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNigeria: 21 million TIV in 2025Switzerland: 33 million TIV in 2023
- Arms exportsNigeria: 4 million TIV in 2022Switzerland: 129 million TIV in 2025