Armed forces personnel in Cameroon
Cameroon: Armed forces personnel was 34,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Cameroon, 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 Cameroon is 34,000, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 46.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Cameroon peaked at 34,400 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 7,300, in 1985.
Cameroon ranks 85th 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 | 14,150 | 7,300 | 21,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 19,500 | 12,000 | 24,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 25,833 | 22,100 | 32,100 | 9 |
| 2010s | 25,510 | 23,100 | 34,400 | 10 |
| 2020s | 34,000 | 34,000 | 34,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
More reference data data for Cameroon
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.282 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3209 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.11 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4712 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.22 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 153.29 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 Cameroon?
- Armed forces personnel in Cameroon was 34,000 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 Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 34,400 in 2018.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 7,300 in 1985.
- How does Cameroon rank for armed forces personnel?
- Cameroon ranks 85th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is up 46.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cameroon 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.
Download this data
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.