Military personnel in Eritrea
Eritrea: Military personnel was 302,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Military personnel in Eritrea, 1993–2022
Source: Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for military personnel in Eritrea is 302,000 people, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.
That represents a change of up 49.5% on the previous year and up 49.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Eritrea peaked at 302,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 45,000 people, in 1995.
That places Eritrea 18th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Military personnel in Eritrea, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 55,000 people | — |
| 1994 | 55,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 45,000 people | -18.2% |
| 1996 | 45,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 55,000 people | +22.2% |
| 1998 | 100,000 people | +81.8% |
| 1999 | 215,000 people | +115.0% |
| 2000 | 200,000 people | -7.0% |
| 2001 | 172,000 people | -14.0% |
| 2002 | 172,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 202,000 people | +17.4% |
| 2004 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 202,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 302,000 people | +49.5% |
Eritrea compared with similar countries
- Eritrea's 302,000 people is above the median for low income countries, which is 33,000 people, 9.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Eritrea's 302,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 21.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 81,429 people | 45,000 people | 215,000 people | 7 |
| 2000s | 195,800 people | 172,000 people | 202,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 202,000 people | 202,000 people | 202,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 235,333 people | 202,000 people | 302,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Eritrea
More reference data data for Eritrea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0531 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.46 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0485 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1781 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.073 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2642 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Eritrea?
- Military personnel in Eritrea was 302,000 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 Eritrea?
- The highest recorded value was 302,000 people in 2022.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Eritrea?
- The lowest recorded value was 45,000 people in 1995.
- How does Eritrea rank for military personnel?
- Eritrea ranks 18th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Eritrea?
- Over the last ten years it is up 49.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Eritrea 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 — 30 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.