Military personnel in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Military personnel was 503,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in Ethiopia, 1898–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Ethiopia recorded 503,000 people for military personnel in 2022. That is the highest value across all 116 years on record.
The figure is up 264.5% on the previous year and up 264.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Ethiopia peaked at 503,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 10,000 people, in 1946.
Ethiopia ranks 10th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1890s | 150,000 people | 150,000 people | 150,000 people | 2 |
| 1900s | 150,000 people | 150,000 people | 150,000 people | 10 |
| 1910s | 195,000 people | 100,000 people | 250,000 people | 10 |
| 1920s | 100,000 people | 100,000 people | 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 157,143 people | 100,000 people | 500,000 people | 7 |
| 1940s | 10,000 people | 10,000 people | 10,000 people | 4 |
| 1950s | 24,900 people | 20,000 people | 36,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 43,600 people | 27,000 people | 60,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 105,800 people | 45,000 people | 250,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 250,000 people | 190,000 people | 300,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 155,000 people | 100,000 people | 300,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 198,800 people | 138,000 people | 352,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 138,000 people | 138,000 people | 138,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 259,667 people | 138,000 people | 503,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More reference data data for Ethiopia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.8567 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.21 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2007 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4577 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.8867 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 1,176 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 Ethiopia?
- Military personnel in Ethiopia was 503,000 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 503,000 people in 2022.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,000 people in 1946.
- How does Ethiopia rank for military personnel?
- Ethiopia ranks 10th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 264.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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 — 116 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.