Armed forces personnel in Benin
Benin: Armed forces personnel was 12,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Benin, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in Benin stood at 12,000.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 65.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Benin peaked at 12,250 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 4,500, in 1985.
Benin ranks 124th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 32 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4,750 | 4,500 | 5,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 7,250 | 6,000 | 8,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7,339 | 6,000 | 8,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 10,080 | 7,250 | 12,250 | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More reference data data for Benin
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.1837 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3347 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.48 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2392 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.5 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 123.58 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 in Benin?
- Armed forces personnel in Benin was 12,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 12,250 in 2018.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,500 in 1985.
- How does Benin rank for armed forces personnel?
- Benin ranks 124th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 65.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.