Nigeria vs Spain: Armed forces personnel
Nigeria
223,000
in 2020
Spain
199,000
in 2020
Nigeria rank
30th
Spain rank
32nd
Armed forces personnel over time
- Nigeria
- Spain
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 223,000 against 199,000 in Spain, a difference of 24,000.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.1 times Spain's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Spain ahead.
Nigeria ranks 30th and Spain ranks 32nd of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 100,500 | 298,500 | 198,000 | Spain |
| 1990s | 93,620 | 249,312 | 155,692 | Spain |
| 2000s | 155,700 | 226,112 | 70,412 | Spain |
| 2010s | 187,100 | 205,772 | 18,672 | Spain |
| 2020s | 223,000 | 199,000 | 24,000 | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Nigeria or Spain?
- Nigeria, at 223,000 against 199,000 in Spain as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Nigeria and Spain?
- 24,000, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Spain?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Nigeria and Spain rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Nigeria ranks 30th and Spain ranks 32nd 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.