24/7 Wall St. Insights:
- Egypt has the largest standing army in Africa with roughly 450,000 active personnel
- In recent years, the Egyptian military has undergone significant modernization efforts
- Egypt also has one of the most advanced air forces in Africa, with over 1,000 aircraft, including F-16 fighters, Mirage 2000s, and MiG-29s
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Out of all the military powers in Africa, Egypt stands above all of them boasting the largest standing army as well as a formidable air force. Considering Egypt’s location at a crossroads between the Middle East and Africa, its military plays an important role ensuring regional stability and in counterterrorism operations. (These are the strongest militaries in Africa.)
The Egyptian Army acts as the backbone for its military at large. With nearly 450,000 active personnel at its disposal, Egypt has the largest standing army on the continent. The army’s size allows Egypt to project power while providing security domestically and in the Suez Canal.
In recent years, the Egyptian military has undergone significant modernization efforts, mainly focusing on increasing mobility and response capabilities. Also partnerships with global military superpowers like the United States and Russia have been beneficial in building up a formidable arsenal of tanks and aircraft.
Apart from the ground forces, Egypt also boasts one of the most advanced air forces in Africa, with over 1,000 aircraft, including F-16 fighters, Mirage 2000s, and MiG-29s. Like the Egyptian Army, the air force has invested heavily in modernizing its fleet by acquiring advanced drones and helicopters. (These are the most widely used fighter jets on Earth.)
With a strong military foundation in both the army and air force, Egypt’s dominance in Africa remains unmatched, allowing it to safeguard its borders and influence regional dynamics.
24/7 Wall St. is taking a broader look at militaries on the African continent. To identify the African countries with the most active military personnel, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed 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 active military personnel. We included supplemental information regarding total personnel, reserves, total population, fit-for-service, and overall military strength score.
Here is a look at the African countries with the largest standing army:
Why Are We Covering This?
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.
38. Liberia
- Active personnel: 1,500
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 7,000
- Total population: 5,358,483
- Fit-for-service: 1,938,211
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.7262 – #140 out of 145
37. Benin
- Active personnel: 4,750
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 4,750
- Total population: 14,219,908
- Fit-for-service: 3,085,720
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.8912 – #141 out of 145
36. Gabon
- Active personnel: 4,800
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 7,300
- Total population: 2,397,368
- Fit-for-service: 520,229
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.9517 – #132 out of 145
35. Republic of the Congo
- Active personnel: 8,500
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 11,000
- Total population: 5,677,493
- Fit-for-service: 1,260,403
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.7282 – #122 out of 145
34. Central African Republic
- Active personnel: 10,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 11,000
- Total population: 5,552,228
- Fit-for-service: 1,232,595
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.5316 – #137 out of 145
33. Mozambique
- Active personnel: 11,200
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 14,200
- Total population: 32,513,805
- Fit-for-service: 7,575,717
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.8377 – #92 out of 145
32. Burkina Faso
- Active personnel: 12,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 16,500
- Total population: 22,489,126
- Fit-for-service: 5,914,640
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.8501 – #127 out of 145
31. Sierra Leone
- Active personnel: 13,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 13,000
- Total population: 8,908,040
- Fit-for-service: 1,175,861
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.5433 – #138 out of 145
30. Namibia
- Active personnel: 13,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 18,000
- Total population: 2,777,232
- Fit-for-service: 397,144
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.7652 – #124 out of 145
29. Madagascar
- Active personnel: 13,500
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 21,600
- Total population: 28,812,195
- Fit-for-service: 7,779,293
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.0655 – #133 out of 145
28. Somalia
- Active personnel: 15,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 17,000
- Total population: 12,693,796
- Fit-for-service: 1,751,744
- Military strength score and world rank: 3.9006 – #142 out of 145
27. Zambia
- Active personnel: 15,150
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 16,350
- Total population: 20,216,029
- Fit-for-service: 4,022,990
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.9851 – #97 out of 145
26. Ghana
- Active personnel: 15,500
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 15,500
- Total population: 33,846,114
- Fit-for-service: 9,747,681
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.2358 – #113 out of 145
25. Senegal
- Active personnel: 17,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 17,000
- Total population: 18,384,660
- Fit-for-service: 3,989,471
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.9117 – #130 out of 145
24. Botswana
- Active personnel: 21,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 21,000
- Total population: 2,417,596
- Fit-for-service: 609,234
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.8353 – #126 out of 145
23. Ivory Coast
- Active personnel: 22,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 27,500
- Total population: 29,344,847
- Fit-for-service: 7,688,350
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.9869 – #98 out of 145
22. Niger
- Active personnel: 25,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 30,000
- Total population: 25,396,840
- Fit-for-service: 5,104,765
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.5988 – #121 out of 145
21. Tanzania
- Active personnel: 27,000
- Reserves: 80,000
- Total military personnel: 113,500
- Total population: 65,642,682
- Fit-for-service: 6,498,626
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.0587 – #103 out of 145
20. Zimbabwe
- Active personnel: 29,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 50,800
- Total population: 15,418,674
- Fit-for-service: 3,345,852
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.0352 – #101 out of 145
19. Mauritania
- Active personnel: 31,540
- Reserves: 66,000
- Total military personnel: 102,540
- Total population: 4,244,878
- Fit-for-service: 1,158,852
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.9277 – #131 out of 145
18. Libya
- Active personnel: 32,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 132,000
- Total population: 7,252,573
- Fit-for-service: 3,241,900
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.4449 – #79 out of 145
17. Chad
- Active personnel: 33,250
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 38,250
- Total population: 18,523,165
- Fit-for-service: 3,741,679
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.8607 – #93 out of 145
16. Mali
- Active personnel: 40,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 44,800
- Total population: 21,359,722
- Fit-for-service: 4,165,146
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.1115 – #106 out of 145
15. Cameroon
- Active personnel: 40,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 52,500
- Total population: 30,135,732
- Fit-for-service: 6,057,282
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.0599 – #104 out of 145
14. Uganda
- Active personnel: 45,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 55,000
- Total population: 47,729,952
- Fit-for-service: 9,593,720
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.2405 – #114 out of 145
13. Kenya
- Active personnel: 50,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 75,000
- Total population: 57,052,004
- Fit-for-service: 13,749,533
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.7629 – #89 out of 145
12. South Africa
- Active personnel: 71,235
- Reserves: 29,350
- Total military personnel: 150,585
- Total population: 58,048,332
- Fit-for-service: 14,395,986
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.4632 – #33 out of 145
11. Tunisia
- Active personnel: 89,800
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 101,800
- Total population: 11,976,182
- Fit-for-service: 5,149,758
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2881 – #74 out of 145
10. Sudan
- Active personnel: 92,000
- Reserves: 85,000
- Total military personnel: 194,500
- Total population: 49,197,555
- Fit-for-service: 16,677,971
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.4119 – #76 out of 145
9. Angola
- Active personnel: 107,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 117,000
- Total population: 35,981,281
- Fit-for-service: 3,598,128
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.8702 – #55 out of 145
8. Eritrea
- Active personnel: 120,000
- Reserves: 130,000
- Total military personnel: 250,000
- Total population: 6,274,796
- Fit-for-service: 1,581,249
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.4152 – #117 out of 145
7. Ethiopia
- Active personnel: 162,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 162,000
- Total population: 116,462,712
- Fit-for-service: 34,705,888
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.7938 – #49 out of 145
6. Democratic Republic of Congo
- Active personnel: 166,580
- Reserves: 31,000
- Total military personnel: 207,580
- Total population: 111,859,928
- Fit-for-service: 30,425,900
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.2491 – #73 out of 145
5. South Sudan
- Active personnel: 185,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 185,000
- Total population: 12,118,379
- Fit-for-service: 3,877,881
- Military strength score and world rank: 2.4376 – #119 out of 145
4. Morocco
- Active personnel: 195,800
- Reserves: 150,000
- Total military personnel: 395,800
- Total population: 37,067,420
- Fit-for-service: 15,123,507
- Military strength score and world rank: 1.0081 – #61 out of 145
3. Nigeria
- Active personnel: 230,000
- Reserves: 0
- Total military personnel: 280,000
- Total population: 230,842,743
- Fit-for-service: 88,181,928
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.5619 – #39 out of 145
2. Algeria
- Active personnel: 325,000
- Reserves: 135,000
- Total military personnel: 610,000
- Total population: 44,758,398
- Fit-for-service: 18,261,426
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.3589 – #26 out of 145
1. Egypt
- Active personnel: 440,000
- Reserves: 480,000
- Total military personnel: 1,220,000
- Total population: 109,546,720
- Fit-for-service: 37,684,072
- Military strength score and world rank: 0.2283 – #15 out of 145
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