Nigeria vs Philippines: Military personnel
Nigeria
143,000 people
in 2022
Philippines
145,000 people
in 2022
Nigeria rank
35th
Philippines rank
34th
Military personnel over time
- Nigeria
- Philippines
How they compare
Philippines currently reports 145,000 people against 143,000 people in Nigeria, a difference of 2,000 people.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 63 shared years of data; in 1960 it was Philippines ahead.
Nigeria ranks 35th and Philippines ranks 34th of 194 countries.
Across the 7 decades both report, Nigeria averaged higher in 2 and Philippines in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | Philippines | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 35,300 people | 51,400 people | 16,100 people | Philippines |
| 1970s | 263,800 people | 105,900 people | 157,900 people | Nigeria |
| 1980s | 135,000 people | 127,100 people | 7,900 people | Nigeria |
| 1990s | 80,900 people | 105,900 people | 25,000 people | Philippines |
| 2000s | 79,100 people | 106,100 people | 27,000 people | Philippines |
| 2010s | 93,100 people | 126,200 people | 33,100 people | Philippines |
| 2020s | 143,000 people | 144,000 people | 1,000 people | Philippines |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, Nigeria or Philippines?
- Philippines, at 145,000 people against 143,000 people in Nigeria as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between Nigeria and Philippines?
- 2,000 people, with Philippines ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Philippines?
- 63 years are reported by both, from 1960 to 2022.
- How do Nigeria and Philippines rank globally for military personnel?
- Nigeria ranks 35th and Philippines ranks 34th of 194 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.