Military personnel in Somalia
Somalia: Military personnel was 14,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in Somalia, 1960–2022
Source: Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Somalia recorded 14,000 people for military personnel in 2022.
That represents a change of up 600.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Somalia peaked at 54,000 people in 1978 and was at its lowest, 0 people, in 1992.
That places Somalia 111th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military personnel in Somalia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 4,000 people | — |
| 1961 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 9,000 people | +125.0% |
| 1964 | 11,000 people | +22.2% |
| 1965 | 12,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1966 | 15,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1967 | 16,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1968 | 14,000 people | -12.5% |
| 1969 | 18,000 people | +28.6% |
| 1970 | 20,000 people | +11.1% |
| 1971 | 20,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 25,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1973 | 25,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 30,000 people | +20.0% |
| 1975 | 30,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 31,000 people | +3.3% |
| 1977 | 53,000 people | +71.0% |
| 1978 | 54,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 54,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 54,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 54,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 54,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 48,000 people | -11.1% |
| 1984 | 43,000 people | -10.4% |
| 1985 | 43,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 50,000 people | +16.3% |
| 1987 | 50,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 47,000 people | -6.0% |
| 1989 | 47,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 47,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 7,000 people | -85.1% |
| 1992 | 0 people | -100.0% |
| 1993 | 0 people | — |
| 1999 | 50,000 people | — |
| 2000 | 50,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0 people | -100.0% |
| 2006 | 0 people | — |
| 2009 | 2,000 people | — |
| 2010 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 3,000 people | +50.0% |
| 2014 | 20,000 people | +566.7% |
| 2015 | 11,000 people | -45.0% |
| 2016 | 17,000 people | +54.5% |
| 2017 | 20,000 people | +17.6% |
| 2018 | 20,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 20,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 20,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 14,000 people | -30.0% |
| 2022 | 14,000 people | +0.0% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 14,000 people is below the median for low income countries, which is 33,000 people, 42% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 14,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military personnel in Somalia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +566.7% | 3,000 people | 20,000 people |
| 1963 | +125.0% | 4,000 people | 9,000 people |
| 1992 | -100.0% | 7,000 people | 0 people |
| 2005 | -100.0% | 50,000 people | 0 people |
| 1991 | -85.1% | 47,000 people | 7,000 people |
| 1977 | +71.0% | 31,000 people | 53,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 10,700 people | 4,000 people | 18,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 34,200 people | 20,000 people | 54,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 49,000 people | 43,000 people | 54,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 20,800 people | 0 people | 50,000 people | 5 |
| 2000s | 13,000 people | 0 people | 50,000 people | 4 |
| 2010s | 11,700 people | 2,000 people | 20,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,000 people | 14,000 people | 20,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More reference data data for Somalia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2637 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 10.39 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0493 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 10.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.8842 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3652 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 43.31 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2685 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Somalia?
- Military personnel in Somalia was 14,000 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 54,000 people in 1978.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 people in 1992.
- How does Somalia rank for military personnel?
- Somalia ranks 111th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 600.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Somalia 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 — 52 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.