Military personnel in Eritrea

Eritrea: Military personnel was 302,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
302,000 people
Change on year
up 49.5%
World rank
18th
of 194 countries
All-time high
302,000 people
in 2022
All-time low
45,000 people
in 1995
Years of data
30
1993–2022

Military personnel in Eritrea, 1993–2022

0100.0k200.0k300.0k1993200720221993: 55.0k people1994: 55.0k people1995: 45.0k people1996: 45.0k people1997: 55.0k people1998: 100.0k people1999: 215.0k people2000: 200.0k people2001: 172.0k people2002: 172.0k people2003: 202.0k people2004: 202.0k people2005: 202.0k people2006: 202.0k people2007: 202.0k people2008: 202.0k people2009: 202.0k people2010: 202.0k people2011: 202.0k people2012: 202.0k people2013: 202.0k people2014: 202.0k people2015: 202.0k people2016: 202.0k people2017: 202.0k people2018: 202.0k people2019: 202.0k people2020: 202.0k people2021: 202.0k people2022: 302.0k people

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 15 Thailand 361,000 people compare
  2. 16 Myanmar 356,000 people compare
  3. 17 Turkey 355,000 people compare
  4. 19 Saudi Arabia 257,000 people compare
  5. 20 Colombia 256,000 people compare
  6. 21 Sri Lanka 255,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for Eritrea

All data for Eritrea →

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

Indicator
Military personnel
Unit
people
Source
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed

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.