Military personnel in Benin
Benin: Military personnel was 12,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Military personnel in Benin, 1960–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
In 2022, military personnel in Benin stood at 12,000 people. That is the highest value across all 63 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 71.4% on the previous year and up 140.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Benin peaked at 12,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1960.
Benin ranks 116th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 63 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 1,700 people | 0 people | 3,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 2,800 people | 2,000 people | 4,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 5,200 people | 4,000 people | 6,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 7,600 people | 6,000 people | 8,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,000 people | 5,000 people | 5,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,400 people | 5,000 people | 7,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 8,667 people | 7,000 people | 12,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 115 Togo 13,000 people compare
- 116 Cyprus 12,000 people compare
- 116 Nicaragua 12,000 people compare
- 119 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11,000 people compare
- 119 Kyrgyzstan 11,000 people compare
- 119 Malawi 11,000 people compare
- 119 Mozambique 11,000 people compare
More reference data data for Benin
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.1837 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3347 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.48 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2392 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.5 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 123.58 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 military personnel in Benin?
- Military personnel in Benin was 12,000 people in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 12,000 people in 2022.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1960.
- How does Benin rank for military personnel?
- Benin ranks 116th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 140.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 63 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.