Military personnel in Liberia
Liberia: Military personnel was 2,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
2,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
154th
of 194 countries
All-time high
15,000 people
in 2000
All-time low
1,000 people
in 1933
Years of data
98
1920–2022
Military personnel in Liberia, 1920–2022
Source: Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Liberia recorded 2,000 people for military personnel in 2022.
That represents a change of unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Liberia peaked at 15,000 people in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1,000 people, in 1933.
Liberia ranks 154th 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 Liberia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 2,000 people | — |
| 1921 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1929 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1930 | 6,000 people | +200.0% |
| 1931 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 5,000 people | -16.7% |
| 1933 | 1,000 people | -80.0% |
| 1934 | 4,000 people | +300.0% |
| 1935 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 1,000 people | -75.0% |
| 1939 | 1,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 5,000 people | +400.0% |
| 1941 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1942 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1943 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1944 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1945 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1946 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1948 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1949 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1950 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1951 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1952 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1953 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1954 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1955 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1956 | 2,000 people | -60.0% |
| 1957 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1958 | 4,000 people | +100.0% |
| 1959 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1960 | 3,000 people | -25.0% |
| 1961 | 2,000 people | -33.3% |
| 1962 | 3,000 people | +50.0% |
| 1963 | 4,000 people | +33.3% |
| 1964 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 5,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1969 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 6,000 people | +20.0% |
| 1973 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 4,000 people | -33.3% |
| 1978 | 7,000 people | +75.0% |
| 1979 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 5,000 people | -28.6% |
| 1982 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 6,000 people | +20.0% |
| 1985 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 7,000 people | +16.7% |
| 1989 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 8,000 people | +14.3% |
| 1991 | 5,000 people | -37.5% |
| 1992 | 2,000 people | -60.0% |
| 1993 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 5,000 people | +150.0% |
| 2000 | 15,000 people | +200.0% |
| 2001 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2,000 people | -86.7% |
| 2008 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 2,000 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 33,000 people, 6% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 2,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 14% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 2,000 people | 2,000 people | 2,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 3,600 people | 1,000 people | 6,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 5,000 people | 5,000 people | 5,000 people | 10 |
| 1950s | 4,200 people | 2,000 people | 5,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 3,800 people | 2,000 people | 5,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 5,800 people | 4,000 people | 7,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 6,000 people | 5,000 people | 7,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 4,400 people | 2,000 people | 8,000 people | 5 |
| 2000s | 11,100 people | 2,000 people | 15,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,000 people | 2,000 people | 2,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,000 people | 2,000 people | 2,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
- 152 Eswatini 3,000 people compare
- 152 Guyana 3,000 people compare
- 154 Bahamas 2,000 people compare
- 154 Belize 2,000 people compare
- 154 East Timor 2,000 people compare
- 154 Lesotho 2,000 people compare
- 154 Malta 2,000 people compare
- 154 Montenegro 2,000 people compare
- 154 Suriname 2,000 people compare
More reference data data for Liberia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0476 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1282 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.229 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0532 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.229 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1597 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.183 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5564 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2896 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Liberia?
- Military personnel in Liberia was 2,000 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 Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 15,000 people in 2000.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,000 people in 1933.
- How does Liberia rank for military personnel?
- Liberia ranks 154th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Liberia 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 — 98 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.