With national security being of great importance to a country’s economy, many nations across the globe have invested heavily in building strong armed forces to safeguard their people as well as assert their influence.
Notably, a country’s military strength is defined by the number of active soldiers, the reserve military personnel, advanced weaponry, as well as the capability to deploy forces internationally.
Active soldiers are armed forces who engage in full-time military work throughout their service period, while reserve military serve as a backup defense and are usually tapped into during emergencies, conflicts, or when extra support is needed for active-duty troops.
This article features African countries with the largest armies in 2024, focusing specifically on the current number of active soldiers.
Egypt
Egypt has the highest military manpower in Africa ranking 15th globally. The country has 440,000 active soldiers, 300,000 paramilitaries, and 480,000 personnel in the reserve, bringing the total personnel numbers to 1.2 million.
Egypt’s annual defence budget stands at US$9.4 billion. Overall, the country is ranked as the 15th global military power out of 145 countries.
Algeria
Algeria’s overall military personnel stands at 610,000 with the country’s defence budget at US$21.6 billion.
The country has 325,000 active military personnel, 135,000 reserve soldiers, and 150,000 paramilitary personnel, making it the second African country with the highest military manpower.
Nigeria
The country has a total of 280,000 military personnel, with 230,000 being on active duty and 50,000 in paramilitary.
The country is ranked sixth globally in terms of military manpower, with an annual influx of 4.15 million reaching military age.
There are no reserve personnel in Nigeria and the country has an annual defence budget of US$4 billion.
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Morocco
With a total of 395,800 military personnel, this country has 195,800 active soldiers, 150,000 in the reserve, and 50,000 in the paramilitary. Morocco’s global military ranking is 61st, with an annual budget of US$12 billion.
South Sudan                                  Â
This country, with a total of 185,000 active soldiers and no reserve or paramilitary, does not feature in Africa’s top 10 military powers but has a slot of top countries with the largest armies.
South Sudan is ranked 24th in Africa and 119th globally, with a defence budget of US$302 million.
Democratic Republic of Congo
DRC has total military personnel of 207,580, including 166,580 active soldiers, 31,000 in reserves, and 10,000 in paramilitary.
The country is ranked 73rd globally with a defence budget of US$300 million. Annually, 2.46 million individuals become eligible for military service, making DR Congo one of the top 10 countries with substantial military manpower.
Ethiopia
Ethiopia has a total of 162,000 active military personnel and does not have reserve units or paramilitaries. The country ranks 49th globally in terms of its annual defence budget, which stands at US$888 million.
Angola
The country has 117,000 military personnel, with 107,000 being active and the remaining 10,000 in the paramilitary. The country has no reserve personnel. Angola is ranked 55th globally in military strength.
Sudan
The country’s total military personnel count is 194,500 with 92,000 active soldiers, 85,000 in the reserve, and 17,500 in the paramilitary.
Globally, Sudan stands at number 76 in military strength and its annual defence budget is US$300 million.
Tunisia
The total military personnel for this country stands at 101,800, with 89,800 considered active and 12,000 in the paramilitary.
The country does not have reserve personnel. Tunisia’s military strength is ranked 74th globally, with a US$1.26 billion annual military budget.
