Military personnel in Congo
Congo: Military personnel was 10,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
10,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
123rd
of 194 countries
All-time high
51,000 people
in 1988
All-time low
0 people
in 1960
Years of data
63
1960–2022
Military personnel in Congo, 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 Congo stood at 10,000 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Congo peaked at 51,000 people in 1988 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1960.
That places Congo 123rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military personnel in Congo, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 0 people | — |
| 1961 | 0 people | — |
| 1962 | 1,000 people | — |
| 1963 | 2,000 people | +100.0% |
| 1964 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 4,000 people | +100.0% |
| 1966 | 5,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1967 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 3,000 people | -40.0% |
| 1969 | 3,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 6,000 people | +100.0% |
| 1971 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 9,000 people | +50.0% |
| 1973 | 7,000 people | -22.2% |
| 1974 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 10,000 people | +42.9% |
| 1977 | 7,000 people | -30.0% |
| 1978 | 11,000 people | +57.1% |
| 1979 | 16,000 people | +45.5% |
| 1980 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 14,000 people | -12.5% |
| 1982 | 11,000 people | -21.4% |
| 1983 | 11,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 15,000 people | +36.4% |
| 1985 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 13,000 people | -13.3% |
| 1987 | 14,000 people | +7.7% |
| 1988 | 51,000 people | +264.3% |
| 1989 | 51,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 9,000 people | -82.4% |
| 1991 | 9,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 10,000 people | +11.1% |
| 1993 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 10,000 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15,500 people, 65% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Congo's 10,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 71% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 2,500 people | 0 people | 5,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 8,600 people | 6,000 people | 16,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 21,100 people | 11,000 people | 51,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 9,800 people | 9,000 people | 10,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 10,000 people | 10,000 people | 10,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 10,000 people | 10,000 people | 10,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,000 people | 10,000 people | 10,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Congo
More reference data data for Congo
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0199 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1866 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0031 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0668 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0724 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9126 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.017 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Congo?
- Military personnel in Congo was 10,000 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 Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 51,000 people in 1988.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1960.
- How does Congo rank for military personnel?
- Congo ranks 123rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Congo 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.