Armed forces personnel in Liberia
Liberia: Armed forces personnel was 2,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Liberia, 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 Liberia is 2,000, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 30 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Liberia peaked at 22,000 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 2,000, in 1992.
Liberia ranks 156th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6,900 | 6,800 | 7,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 12,412 | 2,000 | 22,000 | 8 |
| 2000s | 9,227 | 2,000 | 15,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 2,044 | 2,000 | 2,100 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
More reference data data for Liberia
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.4208 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.446 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2305 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3811 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4456 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 496 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 Liberia?
- Armed forces personnel in Liberia was 2,000 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 Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 22,000 in 1996.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,000 in 1992.
- How does Liberia rank for armed forces personnel?
- Liberia ranks 156th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Liberia 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 — 30 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.