Armed forces personnel in Uganda
Uganda: Armed forces personnel was 46,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Uganda, 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 Uganda is 46,000, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Uganda peaked at 70,000 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 20,000, in 1985.
Uganda ranks 73rd 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 30,000 | 20,000 | 40,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 55,250 | 41,500 | 70,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 52,089 | 46,800 | 61,800 | 9 |
| 2010s | 46,480 | 46,000 | 46,800 | 10 |
| 2020s | 46,000 | 46,000 | 46,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More reference data data for Uganda
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.9521 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.94 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.03 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.7925 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4723 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 224.68 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 Uganda?
- Armed forces personnel in Uganda was 46,000 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 Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 70,000 in 1992.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 20,000 in 1985.
- How does Uganda rank for armed forces personnel?
- Uganda ranks 73rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uganda 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.