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Armed forces personnel since 1816

A long historical series on the personnel of armies — since 1816, that is, over two centuries.

Unit: people Period: 1816–2022 Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI)
Source: SIPRI · About the indicator
Average: 107,253 people Countries: 194

The ranking uses the latest available value for each country — the year is shown in the row. The table spans 1992 to 2022.

Armed forces personnel since 1816, 1992–2022

Top-20 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816, 1992–202201M2M3MChinaChina: 2,035,000 people2.04MIndiaIndia: 1,460,000 people1.46MUnited StatesUnited States: 1,360,000 people1.36MNorth KoreaNorth Korea: 1,280,000 people1.28MRussiaRussia: 1,190,000 people1.19MUkraineUkraine: 688,000 people688,000PakistanPakistan: 652,000 people652,000IranIran: 610,000 people610,000South KoreaSouth Korea: 555,000 people555,000EthiopiaEthiopia: 503,000 people503,000VietnamVietnam: 482,000 people482,000EgyptEgypt: 439,000 people439,000IndonesiaIndonesia: 396,000 people396,000BrazilBrazil: 367,000 people367,000ThailandThailand: 361,000 people361,000MyanmarMyanmar: 356,000 people356,000TürkiyeTürkiye: 355,000 people355,000EritreaEritrea: 302,000 people302,000Saudi ArabiaSaudi Arabia: 257,000 people257,000ColombiaColombia: 256,000 people256,000
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — 1992–2022 Current breakdown Full series CSV XLSX JSON
# Year Subregion World rank
1 CN China 2.04M 2022 1
2 IN India 1.46M 2022 2
3 US United States 1.36M 2022 3
4 KP North Korea 1.28M 2022 4
5 RU Russia 1.19M 2022 5
6 UA Ukraine 688,000 2022 6
7 PK Pakistan 652,000 2022 7
8 IR Iran 610,000 2022 8
9 KR South Korea 555,000 2022 9
10 ET Ethiopia 503,000 2022 10
11 VN Vietnam 482,000 2022 11
12 EG Egypt 439,000 2022 12
13 ID Indonesia 396,000 2022 13
14 BR Brazil 367,000 2022 14
15 TH Thailand 361,000 2022 15
16 MM Myanmar 356,000 2022 16
17 TR Türkiye 355,000 2022 17
18 ER Eritrea 302,000 2022 18
19 SA Saudi Arabia 257,000 2022 19
20 CO Colombia 256,000 2022 20
21 LK Sri Lanka 255,000 2022 21
22 JP Japan 247,000 2022 22
23 MX Mexico 216,000 2022 23
24 FR France 203,000 2022 24
25 MA Morocco 196,000 2022 25
26 IQ Iraq 193,000 2022 26
27 DE Germany 183,000 2022 27
28 IL Israel 170,000 2022 28
29 SY Syria 169,000 2022 29
30 TW Taiwan 169,000 2022 29
31 BD Bangladesh 163,000 2022 31
32 IT Italy 161,000 2022 32
33 GB United Kingdom 150,000 2022 33
34 PH Philippines 145,000 2022 34
35 NG Nigeria 143,000 2022 35
36 DZ Algeria 139,000 2022 36
37 CD Democratic Republic of the Congo 134,000 2022 37
38 GR Greece 132,000 2022 38
39 KH Cambodia 124,000 2022 39
40 ES Spain 124,000 2022 39
41 VE Venezuela 123,000 2022 41
42 PL Poland 114,000 2022 42
43 MY Malaysia 113,000 2022 43
44 AO Angola 107,000 2022 44
45 SD Sudan 104,000 2022 45
46 JO Jordan 101,000 2022 46
47 AF Afghanistan 100,000 2022 47
48 NP Nepal 97,000 2022 48
49 AE United Arab Emirates 83,000 2022 49
50 PE Peru 81,000 2022 50
51 ZA South Africa 74,000 2022 51
52 AR Argentina 72,000 2022 52
53 RO Romania 72,000 2022 52
54 CL Chile 69,000 2022 54
55 CA Canada 67,000 2022 55
56 AZ Azerbaijan 64,000 2022 56
57 AU Australia 60,000 2022 57
58 LB Lebanon 60,000 2022 57
59 DO Dominican Republic 56,000 2022 59
60 SS South Sudan 53,000 2022 60
61 SG Singapore 51,000 2022 61
62 CU Cuba 49,000 2022 62
63 BY Belarus 48,000 2022 63
64 UZ Uzbekistan 48,000 2022 63
65 UG Uganda 45,000 2022 65
66 AM Armenia 43,000 2022 66
67 OM Oman 43,000 2022 66
68 EC Ecuador 41,000 2022 68
69 YE Yemen 40,000 2022 69
70 KZ Kazakhstan 39,000 2022 70
71 BG Bulgaria 37,000 2022 71
72 TM Turkmenistan 37,000 2022 71
73 TN Tunisia 36,000 2022 73
74 BO Bolivia 34,000 2022 74
75 NL Netherlands 34,000 2022 74
76 TD Chad 33,000 2022 76
77 NE Niger 33,000 2022 76
78 RW Rwanda 33,000 2022 76
79 HU Hungary 32,000 2022 79
80 BI Burundi 30,000 2022 80
81 LA Laos 29,000 2022 81
82 ZW Zimbabwe 29,000 2022 81
83 RS Serbia 28,000 2022 83
84 CZ Czechia 27,000 2022 84
85 CI Côte d'Ivoire 27,000 2022 84
86 PT Portugal 27,000 2022 84
87 TZ Tanzania 27,000 2022 84
88 CM Cameroon 25,000 2022 88
89 SV El Salvador 25,000 2022 88
90 NO Norway 25,000 2022 88
91 KE Kenya 24,000 2022 91
92 AT Austria 23,000 2022 92
93 BE Belgium 23,000 2022 92
94 LT Lithuania 23,000 2022 92
95 GE Georgia 21,000 2022 95
96 ML Mali 21,000 2022 95
97 UY Uruguay 21,000 2022 95
98 CH Switzerland 20,000 2022 98
99 FI Finland 19,000 2022 99
100 GT Guatemala 18,000 2022 100
101 KW Kuwait 18,000 2022 100
102 SK Slovakia 18,000 2022 100
103 HR Croatia 17,000 2022 103
104 QA Qatar 17,000 2022 103
105 GH Ghana 16,000 2022 105
106 MR Mauritania 16,000 2022 105
107 DK Denmark 15,000 2022 107
108 HN Honduras 15,000 2022 107
109 SE Sweden 15,000 2022 107
110 ZM Zambia 15,000 2022 107
111 MG Madagascar 14,000 2022 111
112 PY Paraguay 14,000 2022 111
113 SN Senegal 14,000 2022 111
114 SO Somalia 14,000 2022 111
115 TG Togo 13,000 2022 115
116 BJ Benin 12,000 2022 116
117 CY Cyprus 12,000 2022 116
118 NI Nicaragua 12,000 2022 116
119 BA Bosnia and Herzegovina 11,000 2022 119
120 KG Kyrgyzstan 11,000 2022 119
121 MW Malawi 11,000 2022 119
122 MZ Mozambique 11,000 2022 119
123 GN Guinea 10,000 2022 123
124 MN Mongolia 10,000 2022 123
125 NA Namibia 10,000 2022 123
126 CG Republic of the Congo 10,000 2022 123
127 BW Botswana 9,000 2022 127
128 CF Central African Republic 9,000 2022 127
129 NZ New Zealand 9,000 2022 127
130 SL Sierra Leone 9,000 2022 127
131 TJ Tajikistan 9,000 2022 127
132 AL Albania 8,000 2022 132
133 BH Bahrain 8,000 2022 132
134 DJ Djibouti 8,000 2022 132
135 IE Ireland 8,000 2022 132
136 MK North Macedonia 8,000 2022 132
137 BN Brunei Darussalam 7,000 2022 137
138 BF Burkina Faso 7,000 2022 137
139 EE Estonia 7,000 2022 137
140 LV Latvia 7,000 2022 137
141 LY Libya 7,000 2015 137
142 BT Bhutan 6,000 2000 142
143 JM Jamaica 6,000 2022 142
144 SI Slovenia 6,000 2022 142
145 GA Gabon 5,000 2022 145
146 MD Moldova 5,000 2022 145
147 TT Trinidad and Tobago 5,000 2022 145
148 FJ Fiji 4,000 2022 148
149 GM Gambia 4,000 2022 148
150 GW Guinea-Bissau 4,000 2022 148
151 PG Papua New Guinea 4,000 2022 148
152 SZ Eswatini 3,000 1999 152
153 GY Guyana 3,000 2022 152
154 BS Bahamas 2,000 2022 154
155 BZ Belize 2,000 2022 154
156 LS Lesotho 2,000 2022 154
157 LR Liberia 2,000 2022 154
158 MT Malta 2,000 2022 154
159 ME Montenegro 2,000 2022 154
160 SR Suriname 2,000 2022 154
161 TL Timor-Leste 2,000 2022 154
162 BB Barbados 1,000 2022 162
163 CV Cabo Verde 1,000 2022 162
164 KM Comoros 1,000 1992 162
165 GQ Equatorial Guinea 1,000 2022 162
166 HT Haiti 1,000 2022 162
167 ST Sao Tome and Principe 1,000 1999 162
168 TO Tonga 1,000 2022 162
169 AD Andorra 0 2022 169
170 AG Antigua and Barbuda 0 2022 169
171 CR Costa Rica 0 2022 169
172 DM Dominica 0 2022 169
173 GD Grenada 0 2022 169
174 IS Iceland 0 2022 169
175 KI Kiribati 0 2022 169
176 LI Liechtenstein 0 2022 169
177 LU Luxembourg 0 2022 169
178 MV Maldives 0 2022 169
179 MH Marshall Islands 0 2022 169
180 MU Mauritius 0 2022 169
181 FM Micronesia 0 2022 169
182 MC Monaco 0 2022 169
183 NR Nauru 0 2022 169
184 PW Palau 0 2022 169
185 PA Panama 0 2022 169
186 KN Saint Kitts and Nevis 0 2022 169
187 LC Saint Lucia 0 2022 169
188 VC Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 0 2022 169
189 WS Samoa 0 2022 169
190 SM San Marino 0 2022 169
191 SC Seychelles 0 2022 169
192 SB Solomon Islands 0 2022 169
193 TV Tuvalu 0 2022 169
194 VU Vanuatu 0 2022 169
Nothing found. Check the spelling of the name.
Maximum 2.04M people
Median 20,500 people
Minimum 0 people
World 20.79M people

About the indicator

The number of military personnel on active duty. The series was assembled by the Correlates of War project and continued with data of the International Institute for Strategic Studies; unlike the World Bank series, which begins in 1985, it reaches 1816 and makes military buildup over two centuries visible — including both world wars.

Important: Over two hundred years borders and the composition of countries changed, so the series before the middle of the 20th century refers to the territory of the time: comparing adjacent years is reliable, comparing 1830 with 2020 only loosely so.

Updates
annually, April
Unit of measurement
people
Observation period
1816–2022
License
SIPRI terms of use
Dataset
Military Expenditure Database

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