Armed forces personnel in Burundi
Burundi: Armed forces personnel was 31,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Burundi, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Burundi is 31,000, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 39.2% on the previous year and down 39.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Burundi peaked at 82,000 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 5,200, in 1985.
That places Burundi 87th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it 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 | 8,100 | 5,200 | 11,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 21,460 | 12,000 | 45,500 | 10 |
| 2000s | 57,728 | 45,500 | 82,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 48,030 | 31,000 | 51,050 | 10 |
| 2020s | 31,000 | 31,000 | 31,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
More reference data data for Burundi
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.196 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8014 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.8146 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.6552 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.581 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 515.21 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 Burundi?
- Armed forces personnel in Burundi was 31,000 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 Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 82,000 in 2005.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,200 in 1985.
- How does Burundi rank for armed forces personnel?
- Burundi ranks 87th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burundi 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.