Statizoid

Military personnel in Sudan

Sudan: Military personnel was 104,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
104,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
45th
of 194 countries
All-time high
244,000 people
in 2013
All-time low
9,000 people
in 1956
Years of data
67
1956–2022

Military personnel in Sudan, 1956–2022

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k250.0k195619892022

Source: Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

In 2022, military personnel in Sudan stood at 104,000 people.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel in Sudan peaked at 244,000 people in 2013 and was at its lowest, 9,000 people, in 1956.

That places Sudan 45th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Military personnel in Sudan, year by year

Year people Change
1956 9,000 people —
1957 9,000 people +0.0%
1958 9,000 people +0.0%
1959 10,000 people +11.1%
1960 10,000 people +0.0%
1961 18,000 people +80.0%
1962 18,000 people +0.0%
1963 17,000 people -5.6%
1964 18,000 people +5.9%
1965 18,000 people +0.0%
1966 20,000 people +11.1%
1967 20,000 people +0.0%
1968 20,000 people +0.0%
1969 25,000 people +25.0%
1970 25,000 people +0.0%
1971 35,000 people +40.0%
1972 35,000 people +0.0%
1973 35,000 people +0.0%
1974 35,000 people +0.0%
1975 50,000 people +42.9%
1976 50,000 people +0.0%
1977 50,000 people +0.0%
1978 71,000 people +42.0%
1979 65,000 people -8.5%
1980 65,000 people +0.0%
1981 87,000 people +33.8%
1982 86,000 people -1.1%
1983 86,000 people +0.0%
1984 65,000 people -24.4%
1985 65,000 people +0.0%
1986 59,000 people -9.2%
1987 59,000 people +0.0%
1988 65,000 people +10.2%
1989 65,000 people +0.0%
1990 65,000 people +0.0%
1991 65,000 people +0.0%
1992 82,000 people +26.2%
1993 82,000 people +0.0%
1994 82,000 people +0.0%
1995 89,000 people +8.5%
1996 89,000 people +0.0%
1997 105,000 people +18.0%
1998 105,000 people +0.0%
1999 105,000 people +0.0%
2000 104,000 people -1.0%
2001 117,000 people +12.5%
2002 117,000 people +0.0%
2003 104,000 people -11.1%
2004 104,000 people +0.0%
2005 105,000 people +1.0%
2006 105,000 people +0.0%
2007 105,000 people +0.0%
2008 109,000 people +3.8%
2009 109,000 people +0.0%
2010 109,000 people +0.0%
2011 109,000 people +0.0%
2012 109,000 people +0.0%
2013 244,000 people +123.9%
2014 244,000 people +0.0%
2015 244,000 people +0.0%
2016 244,000 people +0.0%
2017 244,000 people +0.0%
2018 104,000 people -57.4%
2019 104,000 people +0.0%
2020 104,000 people +0.0%
2021 104,000 people +0.0%
2022 104,000 people +0.0%

Sudan compared with similar countries

  • Sudan's 104,000 people is above the median for low income countries, which is 33,000 people, 3.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
  • Sudan's 104,000 people is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14,000 people, 7.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1950s 9,250 people 9,000 people 10,000 people 4
1960s 18,400 people 10,000 people 25,000 people 10
1970s 45,100 people 25,000 people 71,000 people 10
1980s 70,200 people 59,000 people 87,000 people 10
1990s 86,900 people 65,000 people 105,000 people 10
2000s 107,900 people 104,000 people 117,000 people 10
2010s 175,500 people 104,000 people 244,000 people 10
2020s 104,000 people 104,000 people 104,000 people 3

Countries ranked near Sudan

  1. 42 Poland 114,000 people compare
  2. 43 Malaysia 113,000 people compare
  3. 44 Angola 107,000 people compare
  4. 46 Jordan 101,000 people compare
  5. 47 Afghanistan 100,000 people compare
  6. 48 Nepal 97,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for Sudan

All data for Sudan →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel in Sudan?
Military personnel in Sudan was 104,000 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 Sudan?
The highest recorded value was 244,000 people in 2013.
What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Sudan?
The lowest recorded value was 9,000 people in 1956.
How does Sudan rank for military personnel?
Sudan ranks 45th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is military personnel rising or falling in Sudan?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Sudan 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.

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Military personnel in Sudan. Statizoid, drawing on Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/military-personnel/sudan/

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About this data

Indicator
Military personnel
Unit
people
Source
Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed

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.