Largest armies in Africa ranked by active military personnel 2023

In 2023, Egypt had the largest army in Africa, with 440,000 active military personnel. The country ranked 10th worldwide in the same year. Morocco was the second-leading African country by number of active service military personnel, counting around 200,000 active soldiers. To follow, Eritrea and South Sudan had 175,000 active duty soldiers each.

Insights into Northern Africa's military landscape

Algeria had the highest military spending in Northern Africa. Morocco and Egypt followed. Moreover, military expenditure encompasses the financial resources allocated to a nation's armed forces, covering various aspects such as peacekeeping, defense operations, and more. However, when making international comparisons, it is essential to be aware of potential variations due to differing interpretations of what each country includes under military spending. Furthermore, in 2022, the proportion of military expenditure to gross domestic product (GDP) in Egypt dropped to 1.06 percent, compared to 1.12 percent in the previous year.

Egypt: A major importer in the global arms market

In terms of the worldwide arms trade, Egypt was a major importer of weapons. The nation had imported close to five percent of the global market share. The majority of these weapons were imported from the United States of America, followed by Russia. Moreover, this reflects the global trends in weapons trade, where the U.S. is leading, followed by Russia.