Armed forces personnel in Ethiopia

Armed forces personnel in Ethiopia: 217,000 people in 1985 and 138,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020: 138,000 people
Since 1985: −79,000 people
Rank, 2020: 44 of 170; counting from the highest
World, 2020: 27.4 million people

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

The highest was 352,500 people in 2000, the lowest 120,000 people in 1991.
Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1898: 150,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

Year	Ethiopia	World
2020	138,000	27.4 million
2019	138,000	27.7 million
2018	138,000	27.7 million
2017	138,000	27.4 million
2016	138,000	27.5 million
2015	138,000	27.4 million
2014	138,000	27.3 million
2013	138,000	27.2 million
2012	138,000	28.2 million
2011	138,000	28 million
2010	138,000	28.1 million
2009	138,000	27.9 million
2008	138,000	27.5 million
2007	138,000	27.3 million
2006	–	27 million
2005	183,000	28.5 million
2004	182,000	27.1 million
2003	162,400	28.2 million
2002	252,500	28.3 million
2001	252,500	28.2 million
2000	352,500	29.4 million
1999	325,500	29.6 million
1998	120,000	29.9 million
1997	120,000	29.9 million
1996	120,000	30.2 million
1995	120,000	30.2 million
1994	120,000	23.2 million
1993	120,000	23.7 million
1992	120,000	24.5 million
1991	120,000	22.7 million
1990	250,000	23.9 million
1989	250,000	24.3 million
1985	217,000	22.2 million
1984	190,000	–
1983	240,000	–
1982	240,000	–
1981	240,000	–
1980	250,000	–
1979	250,000	–
1978	233,000	–
1977	225,000	–
1976	65,000	–
1975	50,000	–
1974	45,000	–
1973	50,000	–
1972	50,000	–
1971	45,000	–
1970	45,000	–
1969	45,000	–
1968	45,000	–
1967	45,000	–
1966	40,000	–
1965	60,000	–
1964	60,000	–
1963	55,000	–
1962	30,000	–
1961	27,000	–
1960	29,000	–
1959	29,000	–
1958	36,000	–
1957	32,000	–
1956	28,000	–
1955	24,000	–
1954	20,000	–
1953	20,000	–
1952	20,000	–
1951	20,000	–
1950	20,000	–
1949	10,000	–
1948	10,000	–
1947	10,000	–
1946	10,000	–
1936	500,000	–
1935	100,000	–
1934	100,000	–
1933	100,000	–
1932	100,000	–
1931	100,000	–
1930	100,000	–
1929	100,000	–
1928	100,000	–
1927	100,000	–
1926	100,000	–
1925	100,000	–
1924	100,000	–
1923	100,000	–
1922	100,000	–
1921	100,000	–
1920	100,000	–
1919	100,000	–
1918	250,000	–
1917	250,000	–
1916	250,000	–
1915	250,000	–
1914	250,000	–
1913	150,000	–
1912	150,000	–
1911	150,000	–
1910	150,000	–
1909	150,000	–
1908	150,000	–
1907	150,000	–
1906	150,000	–
1905	150,000	–
1904	150,000	–
1903	150,000	–
1902	150,000	–
1901	150,000	–
1900	150,000	–
1899	150,000	–
1898	150,000	–

12.3Estimates, Correlates of War

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

Armed forces personnel in Ethiopia

What the numbers say

Every year

Good to know

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