Chad: Armed forces personnel, total

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Chad's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 45,000 to 45,000).

Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was +2.1% and a typical year strayed about 15.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 51.5% in 1990 and the biggest yearly fall was 24% in 1992. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is upward, about 835.45 a year. A straight line explains 33% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2020, Chad had the 75th highest value of the 170 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Chad in the 2020 ranking

• Oman — 72nd of 170: 47,000
• Hungary — 73rd of 170: 46,000
• Uganda — 74th of 170: 46,000
• Guatemala — 76th of 170: 43,000
• Ecuador — 77th of 170: 42,000
• El Salvador — 78th of 170: 42,000

What this measures

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.

Limitations: Data excludes personnel not on active duty, therefore it underestimates the share of the labor force working for the defense establishment. The cooperation of governments of all countries listed in “The Military Balance” has been sought by IISS and, in many cases, received. However, some data in “The Military Balance” is estimated.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 32 values

Armed forces personnel, total in nearby economies

• Angola — 117,000 (2020)
• Benin — 12,000 (2020)
• Botswana — 9,000 (2020)
• Burkina Faso — 11,000 (2020)
• Burundi — 31,000 (2020)
• Cabo Verde — 1,000 (2020)
• Cameroon — 34,000 (2020)
• Central African Republic — 10,000 (2020)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 134,000 (2020)
• Congo, Rep. — 12,000 (2020)
• Côte d'Ivoire — 27,000 (2020)

More public sector data for Chad

• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 4 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 648.81 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 377.27 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 3.19% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.85% (2020)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 15.53% (2025)
• Battle-related deaths (number of people) — 69 (2024)
• CPIA business regulatory environment rating (1=low to 6=high) — 2.5 (2025)
• CPIA debt policy rating (1=low to 6=high) — 3.5 (2025)
• CPIA economic management cluster average (1=low to 6=high)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Chad's armed forces personnel, total?

45,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1985?

It is up 268.85% from 12,200 in 1985 (3.8% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 50,000 in 1990 and the lowest 12,200 in 1985.

How does Chad rank?

75th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in armed forces personnel, total unusual for Chad?

In 2020, Chad's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 45,000 to 45,000). Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was +2.1% and a typical year strayed about 15.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.TOTL.P1, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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