Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone stood at 0.1%.
That represents a change of down 2.3% on the previous year and down 32.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone peaked at 0.4% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1985.
That places Sierra Leone 146th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More reference data data for Sierra Leone
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.1247 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8874 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2824 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.1314 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.1178 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 771.75 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Sierra Leone was 0.1% in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 1997.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1985.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Sierra Leone ranks 146th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 32.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.