Introduction
In Djibouti, Djibouti's military forces are largely focused on border, coastal, and internal security duties, such as counterterrorism; China, France, Italy, Japan, and the US maintain bases in Djibouti for regional military missions, including counter-terrorism, counter-piracy, crisis response, and security assistance (note – France has multiple bases and hosts troop contingents from Germany and Spain); the EU and NATO also maintain a presence to support multinational naval counter-piracy operations and maritime training efforts (2023)
Security and military information of Djibouti
| Military and security service personnel strengths | approximately 10,000 active-duty military personnel; approximately 2,000 Gendarmerie (2023) |
|---|---|
| Military equipment inventories and acquisitions | the FAD's inventory is a mix of mostly older or secondhand equipment from a wide variety of suppliers, including China, France, Italy, Russia/former Soviet Union, South Africa, Turkey, and the US (2024) |
| Military service age and obligation | 18 years of age for voluntary military service for men and women; 16-25 years of age for voluntary military training; no conscription (2023). |
| Military deployments | approximately 1,500 Somalia (AUSSOM) (2025). |
| Military expenditures | |
| Military Expenditures 2019 | 3.5% of GDP (2019 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2018 | 3.5% of GDP (2018 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2017 | 3.3% of GDP (2017 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2016 | 2.7% of GDP (2016 est.) |
| Military Expenditures 2015 | 2.5% of GDP (2015 est.) |
Terrorism
In Djibouti, the different Terrorist group(s) inlcude: al-Shabaab
All Important Facts about Djibouti
Want to know more about Djibouti? Check all different factbooks for Djibouti below.
