Armed forces personnel in Nigeria
Nigeria: Armed forces personnel was 223,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Nigeria, 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 Nigeria is 223,000, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 37.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Nigeria peaked at 223,000 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 76,000, in 1992.
Nigeria ranks 30th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 100,500 | 94,000 | 107,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 93,620 | 76,000 | 124,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 155,700 | 106,500 | 162,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 187,100 | 162,000 | 223,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 223,000 | 223,000 | 223,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More reference data data for Nigeria
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3216 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3105 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.8 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4187 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.76 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 860.32 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 Nigeria?
- Armed forces personnel in Nigeria was 223,000 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 223,000 in 2018.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 76,000 in 1992.
- How does Nigeria rank for armed forces personnel?
- Nigeria ranks 30th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 37.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria 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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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.