Military personnel in Eswatini

Eswatini: Military personnel was 3,000 people in 1999. ◆ Volatile

Latest (1999)
3,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
152nd
of 194 countries
All-time high
4,000 people
in 1989
All-time low
0 people
in 1968
Years of data
32
1968–1999

Military personnel in Eswatini, 1968–1999

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k1968198319991968: 0 people1969: 0 people1970: 0 people1971: 0 people1972: 0 people1973: 0 people1974: 1.0k people1975: 1.0k people1976: 2.0k people1977: 2.0k people1978: 2.0k people1979: 2.0k people1980: 2.0k people1981: 2.0k people1982: 2.0k people1983: 3.0k people1984: 3.0k people1985: 3.0k people1986: 3.0k people1987: 3.0k people1988: 3.0k people1989: 4.0k people1990: 3.0k people1991: 3.0k people1992: 3.0k people1993: 3.0k people1994: 3.0k people1995: 3.0k people1996: 3.0k people1997: 3.0k people1998: 3.0k people1999: 3.0k 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 Eswatini is 3,000 people, measured in 1999.

That represents a change of down 25.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel in Eswatini peaked at 4,000 people in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1968.

Eswatini ranks 152nd of 194 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Military personnel in Eswatini, year by year

Annual values for Military personnel in Eswatini, 1968 to 1999.
Year people Change
1968 0 people
1969 0 people
1970 0 people
1971 0 people
1972 0 people
1973 0 people
1974 1,000 people
1975 1,000 people +0.0%
1976 2,000 people +100.0%
1977 2,000 people +0.0%
1978 2,000 people +0.0%
1979 2,000 people +0.0%
1980 2,000 people +0.0%
1981 2,000 people +0.0%
1982 2,000 people +0.0%
1983 3,000 people +50.0%
1984 3,000 people +0.0%
1985 3,000 people +0.0%
1986 3,000 people +0.0%
1987 3,000 people +0.0%
1988 3,000 people +0.0%
1989 4,000 people +33.3%
1990 3,000 people -25.0%
1991 3,000 people +0.0%
1992 3,000 people +0.0%
1993 3,000 people +0.0%
1994 3,000 people +0.0%
1995 3,000 people +0.0%
1996 3,000 people +0.0%
1997 3,000 people +0.0%
1998 3,000 people +0.0%
1999 3,000 people +0.0%

Eswatini compared with similar countries

  • Eswatini's 3,000 people is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15,500 people, 19% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
  • Eswatini's 3,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 21% of the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 0 people 0 people 0 people 2
1970s 1,000 people 0 people 2,000 people 10
1980s 2,800 people 2,000 people 4,000 people 10
1990s 3,000 people 3,000 people 3,000 people 10

Countries ranked near Eswatini

  1. 152 Guyana 3,000 people compare
  2. 154 Bahamas 2,000 people compare
  3. 154 Belize 2,000 people compare
  4. 154 East Timor 2,000 people
  5. 154 Lesotho 2,000 people compare
  6. 154 Liberia 2,000 people compare
  7. 154 Malta 2,000 people compare
  8. 154 Montenegro 2,000 people
  9. 154 Suriname 2,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for Eswatini

All data for Eswatini →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel in Eswatini?
Military personnel in Eswatini was 3,000 people in 1999, 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 Eswatini?
The highest recorded value was 4,000 people in 1989.
What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Eswatini?
The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1968.
How does Eswatini rank for military personnel?
Eswatini ranks 152nd out of 194 countries with data for 1999.
Is military personnel rising or falling in Eswatini?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Eswatini 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 — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Military personnel in Eswatini. Statizoid, drawing on Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-personnel/eswatini/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-personnel/eswatini/">Military personnel in Eswatini</a> — Statizoid

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.