Military personnel in Kenya
Kenya: Military personnel was 24,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Military personnel in Kenya, 1963–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 24,000 people for military personnel in 2022.
The figure is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Kenya peaked at 25,000 people in 1998 and was at its lowest, 3,000 people, in 1963.
That places Kenya 91st out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 60 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 11,714 people | 3,000 people | 17,000 people | 7 |
| 1970s | 9,500 people | 7,000 people | 13,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 18,600 people | 13,000 people | 21,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 22,900 people | 20,000 people | 25,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 23,800 people | 22,000 people | 24,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 24,000 people | 24,000 people | 24,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 24,000 people | 24,000 people | 24,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More reference data data for Kenya
- Spring temperature anomalies -1.09 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7428 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.7503 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5834 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.22 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 267.82 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Kenya?
- Military personnel in Kenya was 24,000 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 25,000 people in 1998.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,000 people in 1963.
- How does Kenya rank for military personnel?
- Kenya ranks 91st out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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 — 60 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.