Which country has the strongest military in Africa and where does Cameroon rank?

By Hans Ngala

According to the American company, Global Firepower, the strongest military in Africa is that of the Egyptian army, followed by Algeria in second place and Nigeria in third place. This is according to the company’s 2025 index released recently by the US-based security analytical company.
Globally, the United States remained the strongest military in the world with Russia following in the second place and China in third place.
Cameroon came in at number 16, out of 38 African countries whose military power were analyzed and Cameroon was rated as a “rising” power based on its growing military arsenal and troop size.
According to Global Firepower’s 2023 index, Cameroon has 40,000 troops, including the navy and air force and owns 12 fighter jets, 12 helicopters, and 700 armored vehicles with 26 Million Dollars (about 16 Billion Francs) spent on training the elite Rapid Intervention Battalion (BIR) by Israel.

Since the start of the Anglophone Crisis, Cameroon has invested much money on the purchase of military equipment, most of it deployed in fighting against separatists in the Anglophone regions of the country. In 2019, the Trump administration announced it was cutting military aid to Cameroon because of credible allegations of human rights abuses in the Anglophone regions. CNN reported at the time that “the US intends to “terminate” over $17 million in security aid, including funds for radars, four defender-class patrol boats, nine armored vehicles, training programs for C-130 airplanes and helicopters and the withdrawal of an offer for Cameroon to be a candidate for the State Partnership Program”.
According to Global Firepower, South Africa’s army came in at the fourth position and Ethiopia’s followed in fifth position on the African rankings.
To establish this ranking, which includes 145 armies worldwide – 38 of which are African – the American group has created an index based on the aggregation of 60 factors. The lower the index score, the stronger the military force. Global Firepower’s sources rely on data from the CIA as well as various US sites and bodies specializing in military sales and purchases according to ‘The Africa Report’ news website.
Since 2006, Global Firepower has ranked the military power of national armies every year.

Key Trends from the Index

‘The Africa Report’ warned that “While informative, the index warrants a cautious assessment due to concerns over the transparency of Global Firepower’s data”.
Nevertheless, it provides an annual snapshot of the major trends in military forces across the continent. The ranking is expected to change in the coming years following certain countries’ acquisitions of military equipment — for example, Morocco is moving towards purchasing 30 Mirage 2000-9E fighter jets from the United Arab Emirates and sourcing drones from Turkiye.