Armed forces personnel in Tanzania
Tanzania: Armed forces personnel was 28,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Tanzania, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 28,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
The figure is down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Tanzania peaked at 50,000 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 28,000, in 2004.
Tanzania ranks 89th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 40,400 | — |
| 1989 | 40,000 | -1.0% |
| 1990 | 40,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 40,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 46,000 | +15.0% |
| 1993 | 46,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 50,000 | +8.7% |
| 1995 | 36,000 | -28.0% |
| 1996 | 36,000 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 36,000 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 35,400 | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 35,400 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 35,400 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 28,400 | -19.8% |
| 2002 | 28,400 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 28,400 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 28,000 | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 28,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 28,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 28,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 28,400 | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 28,400 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 28,400 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 28,400 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 28,400 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 28,400 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 28,400 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 28,400 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 28,000 | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 28,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 28,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 28,000 | +0.0% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 28,000 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 1.2× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 28,000 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16,000, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 40,200 | 40,000 | 40,400 | 2 |
| 1990s | 40,080 | 35,400 | 50,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 29,000 | 28,000 | 35,400 | 9 |
| 2010s | 28,280 | 28,000 | 28,400 | 10 |
| 2020s | 28,000 | 28,000 | 28,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More reference data data for Tanzania
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6405 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 59.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 72.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Tanzania?
- Armed forces personnel in Tanzania was 28,000 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 Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 50,000 in 1994.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 28,000 in 2004.
- How does Tanzania rank for armed forces personnel?
- Tanzania ranks 89th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tanzania 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.