Published: November 6, 2026
Key Facts
- Ethiopia has Africa's largest active army: 503,000 soldiers. It ranks 9th in the world, ahead of Turkey. Egypt is second at 438,500.
- The top 10 total 2,810,080 active soldiers. The top two alone, Ethiopia and Egypt, outnumber the bottom five of the top 10 combined.
- Nigeria, Africa's most populous country, ranks only 6th with 230,000 troops. That is less than half of Ethiopia's total.
- South Africa, Africa's largest economy, misses the top 10 entirely. It fields 68,731 active soldiers, 12th on the continent. Tunisia just misses at 89,800.
- These figures use Global Firepower's 2026 count of active military manpower. It includes mobilised and national-service personnel. A narrower count from IISS gives lower numbers for Ethiopia, Morocco, Eritrea, Sudan and Nigeria, and would put Egypt first.
Ethiopia fields the biggest army in Africa. Its 503,000 active soldiers put it 64,500 ahead of Egypt. Ethiopia alone has more troops than DR Congo, Algeria and Angola combined. Those three total 403,580. The gap between the top and the rest is wide. The top three hold almost half of the top 10 total. Yet troop numbers are not the same as military strength. Egypt still leads Africa on overall power, and Algeria spends the most on defence. This ranking counts soldiers only.
| Rank | Country | Active soldiers | World rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ethiopia | 503,000 | 9th |
| 2 | Egypt | 438,500 | 13th |
| 3 | Morocco | 400,000 | 16th |
| 4 | Eritrea | 350,000 | 20th |
| 5 | Sudan | 300,000 | 22nd |
| 6 | Nigeria | 230,000 | 28th |
| 7 | South Sudan | 185,000 | 32nd |
| 8 | DR Congo | 166,580 | 35th |
| 9 | Algeria | 130,000 | 42nd |
| 10 | Angola | 107,000 | 53rd |
The top 10 average 281,008 soldiers each. The top 10 hold 79.2 percent of all active soldiers in Africa. Tunisia just misses the list at 89,800. South Africa sits 12th at 68,731.
1. Ethiopia, 503,000 soldiers
Ethiopia tops the list for a clear reason. Its army grew sharply during the Tigray war of 2020 to 2022. Global Firepower counts 503,000 active soldiers, which puts Ethiopia 9th in the world. That is ahead of Turkey, with 481,000. Readers should know the number is disputed. The IISS counts about 150,000 active-duty soldiers in Ethiopia. The gap comes from what each source counts. Global Firepower includes mobilised and national-service personnel. IISS counts a narrower active-duty total. Even on the lower count, Ethiopia fields a large army. On the Global Firepower count, it leads Africa.
2. Egypt, 438,500 soldiers
Egypt has the second-largest army in Africa, with 438,500 active soldiers. It ranks 13th in the world. Egypt also holds 479,000 reservists and 300,000 paramilitary personnel. That depth is the largest in Africa. Egypt leads Africa on overall military power. It ranks 19th in the world on the Global Firepower Power Index, and first among the most powerful countries in Africa. So Egypt has fewer soldiers than Ethiopia but more firepower overall. Its 438,500 troops are nearly twice Nigeria's 230,000.
3. Morocco, 400,000 soldiers
Morocco ranks third with 400,000 active soldiers. It sits 16th in the world. The figure needs a note. The IISS counts about 195,800 active-duty Moroccan soldiers. Global Firepower's count is roughly double that. The difference is the auxiliary forces and gendarmerie that Global Firepower counts as active. Either way, Morocco fields far more troops than its neighbour Algeria. Its 400,000 soldiers are more than three times Algeria's 130,000.
4. Eritrea, 350,000 soldiers
Eritrea ranks fourth with 350,000 active soldiers. It is 20th in the world. The number is striking because Eritrea is small. The country has about 3.6 million people. That means roughly one person in ten is counted as an active soldier. Eritrea runs indefinite national service. Most citizens serve long terms in the military. The IISS counts about 201,750 active Eritrean soldiers. That is still a very high share of the population. No other country on this list comes close per person.
5. Sudan, 300,000 soldiers
Sudan ranks fifth with 300,000 active soldiers. It sits 22nd in the world. This is the least certain figure on the list. Sudan has been in civil war since April 2023. The army fights the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group. Global Firepower's count appears to include both sides and mobilised fighters. The IISS counted about 92,000 active Sudanese soldiers before the war. The true number today is hard to verify. Sudan stays in the ranking on the Global Firepower figure. Readers should treat it as an estimate, not a precise count.
6. Nigeria, 230,000 soldiers
Nigeria ranks sixth with 230,000 active soldiers. It sits 28th in the world. That rank surprises many readers. Nigeria has more than 240 million people. It is the most populous country in Africa. Yet its army is less than half the size of Ethiopia's. Nigeria has about one soldier for every 1,000 people. The army fights Boko Haram in the north-east. It also faces banditry in the north-west and separatist tension in the south-east. Security analysts say the force is stretched thin. The IISS counts about 143,000 active Nigerian soldiers. On either count, Nigeria's army is small for a country of its size.
7. South Sudan, 185,000 soldiers
South Sudan ranks seventh with 185,000 active soldiers. It sits 32nd in the world. South Sudan is the youngest country in Africa. It became independent in 2011. Its army grew out of the Sudan People's Liberation Army. The force has stayed large through years of civil war and uneasy peace. South Sudan has only about 12 million people. That makes its army large for its population. It sits just 18,420 soldiers ahead of DR Congo.
8. DR Congo, 166,580 soldiers
DR Congo ranks eighth with 166,580 active soldiers. It sits 35th in the world. The Congolese army, known as the FARDC, fights the M23 rebels in the east. That war has drawn in troops from Rwanda, Burundi and South Africa. DR Congo has about 110 million people. Its army is small for a country of that size. It fields fewer soldiers than South Sudan, a country one tenth its size. The gap shows how much of the Congolese state is still contested.
9. Algeria, 130,000 soldiers
Algeria ranks ninth with 130,000 active soldiers. It sits 42nd in the world. Algeria is the odd case on this list. It spends more on defence than any African country. Its budget reached 25.4 billion dollars in 2025, according to SIPRI. See our ranking of the biggest defence budgets in Africa. Yet Algeria fields only the ninth-largest army. Algeria buys advanced weapons instead of mass troops. Its rival Morocco fields more than three times as many soldiers. Algeria also holds 150,000 reservists and a large paramilitary force. The army is smaller, but it is the best funded in Africa.
10. Angola, 107,000 soldiers
Angola closes the list with 107,000 active soldiers. It sits 53rd in the world. Angola's army is a legacy of its long civil war. The war ended in 2002. The army has shrunk since then, but it remains large. Angola has about 38 million people. Its 107,000 soldiers sit just 17,200 ahead of Tunisia, which misses the list at 89,800.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which African country has the largest army in 2026?
Ethiopia, with 503,000 active soldiers, according to Global Firepower 2026. It ranks 9th in the world. Egypt is second with 438,500.
Why does Ethiopia rank above Egypt?
Global Firepower counts all personnel under active service status, including mobilised and national-service troops. Ethiopia's army grew sharply during the Tigray war. The IISS uses a narrower active-duty count. On that count Ethiopia falls to about 150,000 and Egypt leads. This article ranks on the Global Firepower count and states the difference openly.
How many soldiers does Nigeria have?
Nigeria has 230,000 active soldiers, ranking 6th in Africa and 28th in the world. That is less than half of Ethiopia's total. It works out to fewer than one soldier per 1,000 Nigerians.
Why is South Africa not in the top 10?
South Africa fields 68,731 active soldiers, which ranks 12th in Africa. Tunisia is 11th at 89,800. South Africa has the continent's largest economy, but it keeps a small standing army. It ranks 40th in the world on overall military power, ahead of Ethiopia and Morocco. See the strongest militaries in Africa in 2026.
Do more soldiers mean a stronger military?
No. Troop numbers measure size, not strength. Training, equipment and money matter as much as headcount. Egypt ranks first in Africa on overall military power despite having fewer soldiers than Ethiopia. Algeria spends the most on defence, 25.4 billion dollars, but ranks only 9th on troops.
Data Sources
- Global Firepower, "Active Military Manpower by Country (2026)", published January 2026 (primary source for all 10 figures and world ranks): globalfirepower.com/active-military-manpower.php
- AMC News24, "Ethiopia, Egypt Lead Africa In Military Manpower As Nigeria's Troop Strength Raises Security Concerns", 9 February 2026 (independent republication of the same ranking; agrees on all 10 figures): amcnews24.com/ethiopia-egypt-lead-africa-in-military-manpower-as-nigerias-troop-strength-raises-security-concerns
- Ecofin Agency, "Global Firepower Index 2026: Egypt, Algeria, Nigeria Lead Africa's Military Rankings", January 2026 (Power Index ranks and Egypt's reserve and paramilitary totals): ecofinagency.com/news/2601-52252-global-firepower-index-2026-egypt-algeria-nigeria-lead-africas-military-rankings
- World Power Stats, "Largest Armies 2026: Active Military Personnel by Country" (IISS-based figures used for the definitional comparison): worldpowerstats.com/rankings/active-personnel.html
- African Exponent, "Top 10 Biggest Defense Budgets in Africa in 2026" (Algeria's 25.4 billion dollar budget, SIPRI 2025): africanexponent.com/top-10-biggest-defense-budgets-in-africa-in-2026
- African Exponent, "Population of Every African Country in 2026" (UN World Population Prospects figures for Nigeria, DR Congo, Angola and South Sudan): africanexponent.com/population-of-every-african-country-in-2026-all-54-nations-ranked
Methodology
This ranking covers active military personnel only, as of the Global Firepower 2026 edition, published 23 January 2026. Active means personnel under active service status, ready to fight. Reserves and paramilitary forces are not counted in the ranked figure, except where the text notes them separately.
Every figure was checked against two sources: Global Firepower 2026 and AMC News24's republication of the same ranking. The two agree on all 10 figures and all 10 world ranks.
Global Firepower's figures differ from the IISS Military Balance for five countries. The IISS counts a narrower active-duty total: Ethiopia about 150,000, Morocco about 195,800, Eritrea about 201,750, Sudan about 92,000 and Nigeria about 143,000. Global Firepower counts mobilised, national-service and auxiliary personnel as active. Under the IISS count, Egypt would rank first and Ethiopia would fall to about 150,000. This article ranks on the Global Firepower count because it is the current annual edition, the standard source African press cites for this metric, and the basis of this site's 2025 edition. The difference is stated in the Key Facts, in each affected country's section, and here, so no reader is misled.
Sudan's figure is an estimate made during an ongoing civil war. Global Firepower's 300,000 appears to include Rapid Support Forces fighters and mobilised elements alongside the regular army. The true number cannot be verified while the war continues. Tunisia, at 89,800, and South Africa, at 68,731, are the first two countries outside the top 10. Their figures come from the same Global Firepower 2026 list.
This 2026 edition updates the site's 2025 ranking of active military manpower. All derived claims in this article, including totals, shares, averages and multiples, were recomputed from the final table values before publication.
