Armed forces personnel in Rwanda
Rwanda: Armed forces personnel was 35,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Rwanda, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in Rwanda stood at 35,000.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Rwanda peaked at 80,000 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 5,200, in 1985.
That places Rwanda 84th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it 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 | 5,600 | 5,200 | 6,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 38,300 | 6,000 | 62,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 56,333 | 35,000 | 80,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 35,000 | 35,000 | 35,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More reference data data for Rwanda
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.1214 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.9964 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.03 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.9131 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.3611 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 251.19 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 Rwanda?
- Armed forces personnel in Rwanda was 35,000 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 80,000 in 2002.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,200 in 1985.
- How does Rwanda rank for armed forces personnel?
- Rwanda ranks 84th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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 — 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.