Military personnel in Malawi
Malawi: Military personnel was 11,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
11,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
119th
of 194 countries
All-time high
11,000 people
in 2018
All-time low
0 people
in 1964
Years of data
59
1964–2022
Military personnel in Malawi, 1964–2022
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 Malawi is 11,000 people, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 59 years on record.
The figure is up 120.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Malawi peaked at 11,000 people in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1964.
Malawi ranks 119th of 194 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 59 years of available data.
Military personnel in Malawi, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1964 | 0 people | — |
| 1965 | 4,000 people | — |
| 1966 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1967 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 5,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1970 | 4,000 people | -20.0% |
| 1971 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 5,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1974 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 4,000 people | -20.0% |
| 1977 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 3,000 people | -25.0% |
| 1979 | 3,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 4,000 people | +33.3% |
| 1981 | 6,000 people | +50.0% |
| 1982 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 7,000 people | +16.7% |
| 1987 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 8,000 people | +14.3% |
| 1992 | 10,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1993 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 10,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 8,000 people | -20.0% |
| 1997 | 8,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 8,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 5,000 people | -37.5% |
| 2000 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 11,000 people | +120.0% |
| 2019 | 11,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 11,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 11,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 11,000 people | +0.0% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 11,000 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 33,000 people, 33% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 11,000 people is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 79% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 3,500 people | 0 people | 5,000 people | 6 |
| 1970s | 4,100 people | 3,000 people | 5,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 6,200 people | 4,000 people | 7,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 8,400 people | 5,000 people | 10,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,000 people | 5,000 people | 5,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,200 people | 5,000 people | 11,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 11,000 people | 11,000 people | 11,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 116 Benin 12,000 people compare
- 116 Cyprus 12,000 people compare
- 116 Nicaragua 12,000 people compare
- 119 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11,000 people compare
- 119 Kyrgyzstan 11,000 people compare
- 119 Mozambique 11,000 people compare
More reference data data for Malawi
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1596 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3426 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5353 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.6012 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.87 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Malawi?
- Military personnel in Malawi was 11,000 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 11,000 people in 2018.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1964.
- How does Malawi rank for military personnel?
- Malawi ranks 119th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 120.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi 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 — 59 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.