Mali's armed forces personnel, total was 41,000 in 2020, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 237.45% from 12,150 in 2010 (12.93% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 41,000 | 2020 |
| Five years earlier | 15,800 | 2015 |
| Ten years earlier | 12,150 | 2010 |
| Highest | 41,000 | 2020 |
| Lowest | 4,900 | 1985 |
| Average since 2011 | 18,015 | 2011–2020 |
| First recorded | 4,900 | 1985 |
What the numbers say
In 2020, Mali's armed forces personnel, total rose 95.2% on 2019 (from 21,000 to 41,000).
Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was +4.7% and a typical year strayed about 18% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 5.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 95.2% in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 35.8% in 2012. 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 2,501 a year. A straight line explains 69% 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, Mali had the 79th 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Mali | 41,000 | 2020 |
| World | 27.41 million | 2020 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 1.73 million | 2020 |
| Low income | 2.92 million | 2020 |
Closest to Mali in the 2020 ranking
- Guatemala — 76th of 170: 43,000
- Ecuador — 77th of 170: 42,000
- El Salvador — 78th of 170: 42,000
- Netherlands — 80th of 170: 41,000
- Yemen, Rep. — 81st of 170: 40,000
- Bulgaria — 82nd of 170: 37,000
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 33 values
| Year | Armed forces personnel, total |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 41,000 |
| 2019 | 21,000 |
| 2018 | 21,000 |
| 2017 | 18,000 |
| 2016 | 17,800 |
| 2015 | 15,800 |
| 2014 | 13,800 |
| 2013 | 11,800 |
| 2012 | 7,800 |
| 2011 | 12,150 |
| 2010 |
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)
- Chad — 45,000 (2020)
- Congo, Dem. Rep. — 134,000 (2020)
- Congo, Rep. — 12,000 (2020)
More public sector data for Mali
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 952.9 million (2025)
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 554.09 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 3.87% (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 64 million (2025)
- Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.54% (2020)
- Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 14.8% (2025)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 593.21 billion (2020)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 4.98% (2020)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — -415.56 billion (2020)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Mali's armed forces personnel, total?
- 41,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1985?
- It is up 736.73% from 4,900 in 1985 (6.26% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 41,000 in 2020 and the lowest 4,900 in 1985.
- How does Mali rank?
- 79th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.
- Is the latest change in armed forces personnel, total unusual for Mali?
- In 2020, Mali's armed forces personnel, total rose 95.2% on 2019 (from 21,000 to 41,000). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was +4.7% and a typical year strayed about 18% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 5.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.
- 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.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
Legal entity
Devansh Yadav
Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Governing law: Courts at Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
Phone: +91 8433475698
Legal: legal@analyzeit.in