Armed forces personnel in Congo
Congo: Armed forces personnel was 12,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Congo, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Congo recorded 12,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Congo peaked at 16,700 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2019.
Congo ranks 124th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11,850 | 8,700 | 15,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 12,470 | 9,000 | 16,700 | 10 |
| 2000s | 12,333 | 12,000 | 15,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 10,800 | 0 | 12,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,000 | 12,000 | 12,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More reference data data for Congo
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3226 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.6423 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.8729 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.7385 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.6531 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 146.54 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 Congo?
- Armed forces personnel in Congo 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 Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 16,700 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2019.
- How does Congo rank for armed forces personnel?
- Congo ranks 124th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo 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.