Armed forces personnel percent in Sierra Leone

Sierra Leone: Armed forces personnel percent was 0.1137 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.1137
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
146th
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.3714
in 1997
All-time low
0.0852
in 1985
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel percent in Sierra Leone, 1985–2020

0.10.20.30.41985200220201985: 0.0851989: 0.0991990: 0.1191991: 0.1181992: 0.1921993: 0.121994: 0.121995: 0.1671996: 0.3571997: 0.3711998: 0.1351999: 0.0882000: 0.0862001: 0.1282002: 0.2612003: 0.2512004: 0.2432005: 0.2362006: 0.1962007: 0.1912008: 0.1872009: 0.1732010: 0.1692011: 0.1642012: 0.162013: 0.1562014: 0.1242015: 0.1212016: 0.1182017: 0.1222018: 0.1132019: 0.1162020: 0.114

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2020, armed forces personnel percent in Sierra Leone stood at 0.1137.

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 percent in Sierra Leone peaked at 0.3714 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.0852, 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.

Armed forces personnel percent in Sierra Leone, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel percent in Sierra Leone, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 0.0852 —
1989 0.0992 +16.4%
1990 0.1191 +20.2%
1991 0.1177 -1.2%
1992 0.192 +63.1%
1993 0.1203 -37.4%
1994 0.1198 -0.4%
1995 0.1675 +39.8%
1996 0.3572 +113.3%
1997 0.3714 +4.0%
1998 0.135 -63.7%
1999 0.088 -34.8%
2000 0.0859 -2.4%
2001 0.1279 +48.8%
2002 0.2615 +104.5%
2003 0.2511 -4.0%
2004 0.2427 -3.3%
2005 0.2363 -2.7%
2006 0.1956 -17.2%
2007 0.1913 -2.2%
2008 0.1866 -2.5%
2009 0.1734 -7.1%
2010 0.1687 -2.7%
2011 0.1644 -2.6%
2012 0.1603 -2.5%
2013 0.1564 -2.4%
2014 0.1236 -21.0%
2015 0.1208 -2.3%
2016 0.118 -2.3%
2017 0.122 +3.4%
2018 0.1125 -7.7%
2019 0.1164 +3.5%
2020 0.1137 -2.3%

Sierra Leone compared with similar countries

  • Sierra Leone's 0.1137 is below the median for low income countries, which is 0.159, 72% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Sierra Leone's 0.1137 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1297, 88% of the median. (47 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Armed forces personnel percent in Sierra Leone changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1996 +113.3% 0.1675 0.3572
2002 +104.5% 0.1279 0.2615
1992 +63.1% 0.1177 0.192
1998 -63.7% 0.3714 0.135
2001 +48.8% 0.0859 0.1279

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.0922 0.0852 0.0992 2
1990s 0.1788 0.088 0.3714 10
2000s 0.1952 0.0859 0.2615 10
2010s 0.1363 0.1125 0.1687 10
2020s 0.1137 0.1137 0.1137 1

Countries ranked near Sierra Leone

  1. 143 Cameroon 0.1297 compare
  2. 144 Togo 0.1284 compare
  3. 145 Ethiopia 0.116 compare
  4. 147 Senegal 0.1132 compare
  5. 148 Yemen 0.1107 compare
  6. 149 Nigeria 0.1042 compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Sierra Leone

All data for Sierra Leone →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel percent in Sierra Leone?
Armed forces personnel percent in Sierra Leone was 0.1137 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest armed forces personnel percent recorded in Sierra Leone?
The highest recorded value was 0.3714 in 1997.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel percent recorded in Sierra Leone?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0852 in 1985.
How does Sierra Leone rank for armed forces personnel percent?
Sierra Leone ranks 146th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel percent 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel percent. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Armed forces personnel percent in Sierra Leone. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 14 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-percent/sierra-leone/

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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel percent
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
173 places, 5,352 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed