Military
This African Country Has the Most Military Manpower, and It's Not Even Close
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Published: June 12, 2024 10:50 am
One of the strongest deterrents against invasion or occupation is a standing army. If a country had no military force, then it would be at the mercy of hostile powers, whether foreign or domestic. This is especially true for countries in the African continent. While military manpower is not entirely definitive of a country’s strength, other assets like tanks and aircraft play a role in projecting this strength. But at the end of the day, these assets must be piloted or driven by military personnel. (These are the strongest militaries in the world. )
Here, 24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look into African nations that have the most military manpower. To identify the African countries with the most military personnel, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 Military Strength Ranking from Global Firepower, an annually updated defense-related statistics website with information on 145 countries. Countries were ranked on the total number of military personnel. We included supplemental information regarding active personnel, reserves, total population, fit-for-service, and overall military strength score.
Egypt is easily one of the strongest nations on the African continent with an impressive air force and navy. However, it is also home to one of the largest militaries in the world in terms of manpower.
Another powerful African military is found in Algeria. With one of the larger defense budgets in the world, Algeria has invested considerably to develop its military capabilities, especially training its forces on the ground.
It’s worth noting that countries fill out their ranks of military personnel through voluntary or selective service, and some through mandatory service. Other countries even turn to paramilitary forces should the need become drastic. (These are the countries with the most military personnel. )
Here is a look at the African countries with the most military manpower:
Why Are We Covering This?
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Understanding the military dynamics of Africa is important due to the continent’s strategic geopolitical significance. The continent is known for some instability, and military power is one way of ensuring stability both political and economical. Many of these African nations are growing rapidly and the continued stability of this region is crucial.
Total military personnel: 4,750
Active personnel: 4,750
Reserves: 0
Total population: 14,219,908
Fit-for-service: 3,085,720
Military strength score: 3.8912 – #141 out of 145
Total military personnel: 7,000
Active personnel: 1,500
Reserves: 0
Total population: 5,358,483
Fit-for-service: 1,938,211
Military strength score: 3.7262 – #140 out of 145
Total military personnel: 7,300
Active personnel: 4,800
Reserves: 0
Total population: 2,397,368
Fit-for-service: 520,229
Military strength score: 2.9517 – #132 out of 145
Total military personnel: 11,000
Active personnel: 8,500
Reserves: 0
Total population: 5,677,493
Fit-for-service: 1,260,403
Military strength score: 2.7282 – #122 out of 145
Total military personnel: 11,000
Active personnel: 10,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 5,552,228
Fit-for-service: 1,232,595
Military strength score: 3.5316 – #137 out of 145
Total military personnel: 13,000
Active personnel: 13,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 8,908,040
Fit-for-service: 1,175,861
Military strength score: 3.5433 – #138 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 14,200
Active personnel: 11,200
Reserves: 0
Total population: 32,513,805
Fit-for-service: 7,575,717
Military strength score: 1.8377 – #92 out of 145
Total military personnel: 15,500
Active personnel: 15,500
Reserves: 0
Total population: 33,846,114
Fit-for-service: 9,747,681
Military strength score: 2.2358 – #113 out of 145
Total military personnel: 16,350
Active personnel: 15,150
Reserves: 0
Total population: 20,216,029
Fit-for-service: 4,022,990
Military strength score: 1.9851 – #97 out of 145
Total military personnel: 16,500
Active personnel: 12,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 22,489,126
Fit-for-service: 5,914,640
Military strength score: 2.8501 – #127 out of 145
Total military personnel: 17,000
Active personnel: 17,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 18,384,660
Fit-for-service: 3,989,471
Military strength score: 2.9117 – #130 out of 145
Total military personnel: 17,000
Active personnel: 15,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 12,693,796
Fit-for-service: 1,751,744
Military strength score: 3.9006 – #142 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 18,000
Active personnel: 13,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 2,777,232
Fit-for-service: 397,144
Military strength score: 2.7652 – #124 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 21,000
Active personnel: 21,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 2,417,596
Fit-for-service: 609,234
Military strength score: 2.8353 – #126 out of 145
Total military personnel: 21,600
Active personnel: 13,500
Reserves: 0
Total population: 28,812,195
Fit-for-service: 7,779,293
Military strength score: 3.0655 – #133 out of 145
Total military personnel: 27,500
Active personnel: 22,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 29,344,847
Fit-for-service: 7,688,350
Military strength score: 1.9869 – #98 out of 145
Total military personnel: 30,000
Active personnel: 25,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 25,396,840
Fit-for-service: 5,104,765
Military strength score: 2.5988 – #121 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 38,250
Active personnel: 33,250
Reserves: 0
Total population: 18,523,165
Fit-for-service: 3,741,679
Military strength score: 1.8607 – #93 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 44,800
Active personnel: 40,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 21,359,722
Fit-for-service: 4,165,146
Military strength score: 2.1115 – #106 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 50,800
Active personnel: 29,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 15,418,674
Fit-for-service: 3,345,852
Military strength score: 2.0352 – #101 out of 145
Total military personnel: 52,500
Active personnel: 40,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 30,135,732
Fit-for-service: 6,057,282
Military strength score: 2.0599 – #104 out of 145
Total military personnel: 55,000
Active personnel: 45,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 47,729,952
Fit-for-service: 9,593,720
Military strength score: 2.2405 – #114 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 75,000
Active personnel: 50,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 57,052,004
Fit-for-service: 13,749,533
Military strength score: 1.7629 – #89 out of 145
Total military personnel: 101,800
Active personnel: 89,800
Reserves: 0
Total population: 11,976,182
Fit-for-service: 5,149,758
Military strength score: 1.2881 – #74 out of 145
Total military personnel: 102,540
Active personnel: 31,540
Reserves: 66,000
Total population: 4,244,878
Fit-for-service: 1,158,852
Military strength score: 2.9277 – #131 out of 145
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Total military personnel: 113,500
Active personnel: 27,000
Reserves: 80,000
Total population: 65,642,682
Fit-for-service: 6,498,626
Military strength score: 2.0587 – #103 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 117,000
Active personnel: 107,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 35,981,281
Fit-for-service: 3,598,128
Military strength score: 0.8702 – #55 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 132,000
Active personnel: 32,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 7,252,573
Fit-for-service: 3,241,900
Military strength score: 1.4449 – #79 out of 145
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Total military personnel: 150,585
Active personnel: 71,235
Reserves: 29,350
Total population: 58,048,332
Fit-for-service: 14,395,986
Military strength score: 0.4632 – #33 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 162,000
Active personnel: 162,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 116,462,712
Fit-for-service: 34,705,888
Military strength score: 0.7938 – #49 out of 145
Total military personnel: 185,000
Active personnel: 185,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 12,118,379
Fit-for-service: 3,877,881
Military strength score: 2.4376 – #119 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 194,500
Active personnel: 92,000
Reserves: 85,000
Total population: 49,197,555
Fit-for-service: 16,677,971
Military strength score: 1.4119 – #76 out of 145
Total military personnel: 207,580
Active personnel: 166,580
Reserves: 31,000
Total population: 111,859,928
Fit-for-service: 30,425,900
Military strength score: 1.2491 – #73 out of 145
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Total military personnel: 250,000
Active personnel: 120,000
Reserves: 130,000
Total population: 6,274,796
Fit-for-service: 1,581,249
Military strength score: 2.4152 – #117 out of 145
Total military personnel: 280,000
Active personnel: 230,000
Reserves: 0
Total population: 230,842,743
Fit-for-service: 88,181,928
Military strength score: 0.5619 – #39 out of 145
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Total military personnel: 395,800
Active personnel: 195,800
Reserves: 150,000
Total population: 37,067,420
Fit-for-service: 15,123,507
Military strength score: 1.0081 – #61 out of 145
Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
Total military personnel: 610,000
Active personnel: 325,000
Reserves: 135,000
Total population: 44,758,398
Fit-for-service: 18,261,426
Military strength score: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145
Total military personnel: 1,220,000
Active personnel: 440,000
Reserves: 480,000
Total population: 109,546,720
Fit-for-service: 37,684,072
Military strength score: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145
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