Cameroon vs Rwanda: Armed forces personnel
Cameroon
34,000
in 2020
Rwanda
35,000
in 2020
Cameroon rank
85th
Rwanda rank
84th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Cameroon
- Rwanda
How they compare
Rwanda currently reports 35,000 against 34,000 in Cameroon, a difference of 1,000.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Cameroon ahead.
Cameroon ranks 85th and Rwanda ranks 84th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Cameroon averaged higher in 1 and Rwanda in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Cameroon | Rwanda | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14,150 | 5,600 | 8,550 | Cameroon |
| 1990s | 19,500 | 38,300 | 18,800 | Rwanda |
| 2000s | 25,833 | 56,333 | 30,500 | Rwanda |
| 2010s | 25,510 | 35,000 | 9,490 | Rwanda |
| 2020s | 34,000 | 35,000 | 1,000 | Rwanda |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Cameroon or Rwanda?
- Rwanda, at 35,000 against 34,000 in Cameroon as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Cameroon and Rwanda?
- 1,000, with Rwanda ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Cameroon and Rwanda?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Cameroon and Rwanda rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Cameroon ranks 85th and Rwanda ranks 84th 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
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.