Morocco vs Nigeria: Armed forces personnel
Morocco
246,000
in 2020
Nigeria
223,000
in 2020
Morocco rank
28th
Nigeria rank
30th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Morocco
- Nigeria
How they compare
Morocco currently reports 246,000 against 223,000 in Nigeria, a difference of 23,000.
That makes Morocco's figure about 1.1 times Nigeria's.
Across all 33 years both countries report, Morocco has been ahead every year.
Morocco ranks 28th and Nigeria ranks 30th of 173 countries.
Morocco has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Morocco | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 172,000 | 100,500 | 71,500 | Morocco |
| 1990s | 216,340 | 93,620 | 122,720 | Morocco |
| 2000s | 246,440 | 155,700 | 90,740 | Morocco |
| 2010s | 245,840 | 187,100 | 58,740 | Morocco |
| 2020s | 246,000 | 223,000 | 23,000 | Morocco |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Morocco or Nigeria?
- Morocco, at 246,000 against 223,000 in Nigeria as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Morocco and Nigeria?
- 23,000, with Morocco ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Morocco and Nigeria?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Morocco and Nigeria rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Morocco ranks 28th and Nigeria ranks 30th 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.