Burkina Faso vs Niger: Armed forces personnel

Burkina Faso
11,000
in 2020
Niger
10,000
in 2020
Burkina Faso rank
128th
Niger rank
131st

Armed forces personnel over time

  • Burkina Faso
  • Niger
05.0k10.0k15.0k198520022020

How they compare

Burkina Faso currently reports 11,000 against 10,000 in Niger, a difference of 1,000.

That makes Burkina Faso's figure about 1.1 times Niger's.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Burkina Faso ahead.

Burkina Faso ranks 128th and Niger ranks 131st of 173 countries.

Burkina Faso has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Burkina Faso Niger Difference Ahead
1980s 6,000 3,100 2,900 Burkina Faso
1990s 9,815 7,850 1,965 Burkina Faso
2000s 12,261 10,389 1,872 Burkina Faso
2010s 11,335 10,520 815 Burkina Faso
2020s 11,000 10,000 1,000 Burkina Faso

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, Burkina Faso or Niger?
Burkina Faso, at 11,000 against 10,000 in Niger as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Burkina Faso and Niger?
1,000, with Burkina Faso ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Burkina Faso and Niger?
32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Burkina Faso and Niger rank globally for armed forces personnel?
Burkina Faso ranks 128th and Niger ranks 131st of 173 countries.
Where does this data come from?
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel
Source
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
173 places, 5,352 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.