Nigeria
Armed forces personnel in Nigeria
Armed forces personnel in Nigeria: 94,000 people in 1985 and 223,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.
- Latest, 2020
- 223,000 people
- Since 1985
- +129,000 people
- Rank, 2020
- 30 of 170
- counting from the highest
- World, 2020
- 27.4 million people
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- The highest was 223,000 people in 2018, the lowest 76,000 people in 1992.
- Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1960: 5,000 people.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Nigeria | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 223,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 223,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 223,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 215,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 200,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 200,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 162,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 162,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 162,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 162,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 162,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 162,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 162,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 162,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 162,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 161,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 160,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 160,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 160,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 160,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 106,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 124,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 107,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 107,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 89,100 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 89,100 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 80,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 76,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 76,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 94,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 94,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 107,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 94,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 144,000 | – |
| 1983 | 144,000 | – |
| 1982 | 144,000 | – |
| 1981 | 144,000 | – |
| 1980 | 150,000 | – |
| 1979 | 164,000 | – |
| 1978 | 204,000 | – |
| 1977 | 300,000 | – |
| 1976 | 270,000 | – |
| 1975 | 270,000 | – |
| 1974 | 300,000 | – |
| 1973 | 305,000 | – |
| 1972 | 305,000 | – |
| 1971 | 320,000 | – |
| 1970 | 200,000 | – |
| 1969 | 110,000 | – |
| 1968 | 85,000 | – |
| 1967 | 35,000 | – |
| 1966 | 30,000 | – |
| 1965 | 25,000 | – |
| 1964 | 25,000 | – |
| 1963 | 25,000 | – |
| 1962 | 7,000 | – |
| 1961 | 6,000 | – |
| 1960 | 5,000 | – |
- 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
Nigeria in numbers
Every measure for Nigeria on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending0.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$1.76B in 2025
- Military spending per person$9 in 2025
- Military share of state spending5.9% of government spending in 2025
- National power1.16% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers0.23% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports21 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports4 million TIV in 2022