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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Afghanistan

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Afghanistan in 2022 — 100,000 people. Ranked 47 in the world out of 189. Since 1920, the indicator has risen by 81.8%.

2022 100,000 people −39.39% vs 2021
World rank 47of 189
Period maximum 400,000 people1999
Period minimum 27,000 people2005

Trend over time

1920–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Afghanistan, 1920–20220100,000200,000300,000400,00019201931194219531964197519861997200820191920: 55,000 people1922: 55,000 people1924: 65,000 people1926: 76,000 people1928: 60,000 people1930: 60,000 people1932: 60,000 people1934: 45,000 people1936: 103,000 people1938: 103,000 people1940: 60,000 people1942: 90,000 people1944: 90,000 people1946: 90,000 people1948: 90,000 people1950: 75,000 people1952: 60,000 people1954: 41,000 people1956: 43,000 people1958: 43,000 people1960: 60,000 people1962: 104,000 people1964: 112,000 people1966: 97,000 people1968: 89,000 people1970: 91,000 people1972: 91,000 people1974: 80,000 people1976: 142,000 people1978: 110,000 people1980: 43,000 people1982: 55,000 people1984: 46,000 people1986: 47,000 people1988: 55,000 people1990: 58,000 people1992: 45,000 people1994: 45,000 people2000: 400,000 people2003: 60,000 people2005: 27,000 people2007: 50,000 people2009: 53,000 people2011: 136,000 people2013: 191,000 people2015: 179,000 people2017: 171,000 people2019: 174,000 people2021: 165,000 people2022: 100,000 people
Change over the period: +45,000 (+81.82%) Average annual rate: 0.59 %

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Afghanistan

Afghanistan 100,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
South Asia computed 2.73M people
Southern Asia computed 3.34M people
Low-income countries computed 2.98M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Afghanistan, by year Afghanistan All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 100,000 −65,000 −39.39%
2021 165,000 −16,000 −8.84%
2020 181,000 +7,000 +4.02%
2019 174,000 +0 +0%
2018 174,000 +3,000 +1.75%
2017 171,000 +10,000 +6.21%
2016 161,000 −18,000 −10.06%
2015 179,000 −7,000 −3.76%
2014 186,000 −5,000 −2.62%
2013 191,000 +20,000 +11.7%
2012 171,000 +35,000 +25.74%
2011 136,000 +42,000 +44.68%
2010 94,000 +41,000 +77.36%
2009 53,000 +2,000 +3.92%
2008 51,000 +1,000 +2%
2007 50,000 +23,000 +85.19%
2006 27,000 +0 +0%
2005 27,000 −17,000 −38.64%
2004 44,000 −16,000 −26.67%
2003 60,000 +10,000 +20%
2002 50,000 — —
2000 400,000 +0 +0%
1999 400,000 — —
1994 45,000 +0 +0%
1993 45,000 +0 +0%
1992 45,000 +0 +0%
1991 45,000 −13,000 −22.41%
1990 58,000 +3,000 +5.45%
1989 55,000 +0 +0%
1988 55,000 +5,000 +10%
1987 50,000 +3,000 +6.38%
1986 47,000 +0 +0%
1985 47,000 +1,000 +2.17%
1984 46,000 +0 +0%
1983 46,000 −9,000 −16.36%
1982 55,000 +10,000 +22.22%
1981 45,000 +2,000 +4.65%
1980 43,000 −46,000 −51.69%
1979 89,000 −21,000 −19.09%
1978 110,000 −33,000 −23.08%
1977 143,000 +1,000 +0.7%
1976 142,000 +12,000 +9.23%
1975 130,000 +50,000 +62.5%
1974 80,000 −11,000 −12.09%
1973 91,000 +0 +0%
1972 91,000 +0 +0%
1971 91,000 +0 +0%
1970 91,000 +2,000 +2.25%
1969 89,000 +0 +0%
1968 89,000 −6,000 −6.32%
1967 95,000 −2,000 −2.06%
1966 97,000 +0 +0%
1965 97,000 −15,000 −13.39%
1964 112,000 +2,000 +1.82%
1963 110,000 +6,000 +5.77%
1962 104,000 −6,000 −5.45%
1961 110,000 +50,000 +83.33%
1960 60,000 +10,000 +20%
1959 50,000 +7,000 +16.28%
1958 43,000 +0 +0%
1957 43,000 +0 +0%
1956 43,000 +0 +0%
1955 43,000 +2,000 +4.88%
1954 41,000 +0 +0%
1953 41,000 −19,000 −31.67%
1952 60,000 +0 +0%
1951 60,000 −15,000 −20%
1950 75,000 +0 +0%
1949 75,000 −15,000 −16.67%
1948 90,000 −10,000 −10%
1947 100,000 +10,000 +11.11%
1946 90,000 +0 +0%
1945 90,000 +0 +0%
1944 90,000 +0 +0%
1943 90,000 +0 +0%
1942 90,000 +0 +0%
1941 90,000 +30,000 +50%
1940 60,000 −43,000 −41.75%
1939 103,000 +0 +0%
1938 103,000 +0 +0%
1937 103,000 +0 +0%
1936 103,000 +31,000 +43.06%
1935 72,000 +27,000 +60%
1934 45,000 −27,000 −37.5%
1933 72,000 +12,000 +20%
1932 60,000 +0 +0%
1931 60,000 +0 +0%
1930 60,000 +0 +0%
1929 60,000 +0 +0%
1928 60,000 −16,000 −21.05%
1927 76,000 +0 +0%
1926 76,000 +0 +0%
1925 76,000 +11,000 +16.92%
1924 65,000 +0 +0%
1923 65,000 +10,000 +18.18%
1922 55,000 +0 +0%
1921 55,000 +0 +0%
1920 55,000 — —

Southern Asia, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

IN India 1.46M PK Pakistan 652,000 IR Iran 610,000 LK Sri Lanka 255,000 BD Bangladesh 163,000 AF Afghanistan 100,000 NP Nepal 97,000 MV Maldives 0
Full table for all countries

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.

Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.

Other indicators for Afghanistan

Defense Armed forces personnel

The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.

Afghanistan by year Defense Armed forces as a share of the population

What share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.

Afghanistan by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Afghanistan by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Afghanistan by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Afghanistan by year Defense Arms exports

Transfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).

Afghanistan by year
All indicators for Afghanistan