Armed forces personnel in Ghana
Ghana: Armed forces personnel was 16,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Ghana, 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 Ghana is 16,000, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.
The figure is up 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Ghana peaked at 16,000 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 7,000, in 1992.
Ghana ranks 113th 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 | 15,550 | 15,100 | 16,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 9,030 | 7,000 | 14,500 | 10 |
| 2000s | 9,611 | 7,000 | 15,500 | 9 |
| 2010s | 15,600 | 15,500 | 16,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,000 | 16,000 | 16,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More reference data data for Ghana
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.2851 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.0419 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.8532 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3544 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.6214 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 855.78 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Ghana?
- Armed forces personnel in Ghana was 16,000 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 Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 16,000 in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 7,000 in 1992.
- How does Ghana rank for armed forces personnel?
- Ghana ranks 113th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ghana 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.