Armed forces personnel in Mali
Mali: Armed forces personnel was 41,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Mali, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Mali recorded 41,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is up 95.2% on the previous year and up 237.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Mali peaked at 41,000 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4,900, in 1985.
Mali ranks 79th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6,450 | 4,900 | 8,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 13,790 | 12,000 | 15,200 | 10 |
| 2000s | 12,895 | 11,000 | 15,200 | 10 |
| 2010s | 15,130 | 7,800 | 21,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 41,000 | 41,000 | 41,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mali
More reference data data for Mali
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.9068 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.636 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.26 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.268 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.234 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 135.34 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 Mali?
- Armed forces personnel in Mali was 41,000 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 Mali?
- The highest recorded value was 41,000 in 2020.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Mali?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,900 in 1985.
- How does Mali rank for armed forces personnel?
- Mali ranks 79th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Mali?
- Over the last ten years it is up 237.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mali 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 — 33 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.