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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Belgium

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Belgium in 2022 — 23,000 people. Ranked 92 in the world out of 189. Since 1830, the indicator has fallen by 62.9%.

2022 23,000 people −4.17% vs 2021
World rank 92of 189
Period maximum 212,000 people1919
Period minimum 23,000 people2022

Trend over time

1830–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Belgium, 1830–20220100,000200,000300,000183018501870189019101930195019701990201020221830: 62,000 people1834: 30,000 people1838: 48,000 people1842: 36,000 people1846: 32,000 people1850: 35,000 people1854: 39,000 people1858: 40,000 people1862: 40,000 people1866: 40,000 people1870: 40,000 people1874: 40,000 people1878: 46,000 people1882: 46,000 people1886: 45,000 people1890: 45,000 people1894: 47,000 people1898: 47,000 people1902: 49,000 people1906: 44,000 people1910: 48,000 people1914: 115,000 people1918: 209,000 people1922: 117,000 people1926: 83,000 people1930: 69,000 people1934: 68,000 people1938: 90,000 people1946: 79,000 people1950: 74,000 people1954: 91,000 people1958: 106,000 people1962: 110,000 people1966: 115,000 people1970: 110,000 people1974: 105,000 people1978: 109,000 people1982: 109,000 people1986: 107,000 people1990: 106,000 people1994: 53,000 people1998: 43,000 people2002: 39,000 people2006: 37,000 people2010: 38,000 people2014: 31,000 people2018: 29,000 people2022: 23,000 people
Change over the period: −39,000 (−62.9%) Average annual rate: -0.52 %

Comparison, 2022

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

Belgium 23,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Europe & Central Asia computed 4.15M people
Western Europe computed 486,000 people
High-income countries computed 5.91M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Belgium, by year Belgium All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 23,000 −1,000 −4.17%
2021 24,000 −2,000 −7.69%
2020 26,000 −1,000 −3.7%
2019 27,000 −2,000 −6.9%
2018 29,000 −1,000 −3.33%
2017 30,000 −1,000 −3.23%
2016 31,000 +0 +0%
2015 31,000 +0 +0%
2014 31,000 −2,000 −6.06%
2013 33,000 −1,000 −2.94%
2012 34,000 −4,000 −10.53%
2011 38,000 +0 +0%
2010 38,000 −1,000 −2.56%
2009 39,000 −1,000 −2.5%
2008 40,000 +0 +0%
2007 40,000 +3,000 +8.11%
2006 37,000 +0 +0%
2005 37,000 −2,000 −5.13%
2004 39,000 −2,000 −4.88%
2003 41,000 +2,000 +5.13%
2002 39,000 +0 +0%
2001 39,000 +0 +0%
2000 39,000 −3,000 −7.14%
1999 42,000 −1,000 −2.33%
1998 43,000 −3,000 −6.52%
1997 46,000 +1,000 +2.22%
1996 45,000 −2,000 −4.26%
1995 47,000 −6,000 −11.32%
1994 53,000 −17,000 −24.29%
1993 70,000 −9,000 −11.39%
1992 79,000 −22,000 −21.78%
1991 101,000 −5,000 −4.72%
1990 106,000 −4,000 −3.64%
1989 110,000 +0 +0%
1988 110,000 +1,000 +0.92%
1987 109,000 +2,000 +1.87%
1986 107,000 +0 +0%
1985 107,000 +0 +0%
1984 107,000 −2,000 −1.83%
1983 109,000 +0 +0%
1982 109,000 −1,000 −0.91%
1981 110,000 +2,000 +1.85%
1980 108,000 +1,000 +0.93%
1979 107,000 −2,000 −1.83%
1978 109,000 +2,000 +1.87%
1977 107,000 +4,000 +3.88%
1976 103,000 +0 +0%
1975 103,000 −2,000 −1.9%
1974 105,000 −2,000 −1.87%
1973 107,000 +2,000 +1.9%
1972 105,000 −5,000 −4.55%
1971 110,000 +0 +0%
1970 110,000 −5,000 −4.35%
1969 115,000 +0 +0%
1968 115,000 +0 +0%
1967 115,000 +0 +0%
1966 115,000 +0 +0%
1965 115,000 +0 +0%
1964 115,000 +0 +0%
1963 115,000 +5,000 +4.55%
1962 110,000 +0 +0%
1961 110,000 +0 +0%
1960 110,000 +2,000 +1.85%
1959 108,000 +2,000 +1.89%
1958 106,000 +5,000 +4.95%
1957 101,000 +3,000 +3.06%
1956 98,000 +4,000 +4.26%
1955 94,000 +3,000 +3.3%
1954 91,000 +5,000 +5.81%
1953 86,000 +5,000 +6.17%
1952 81,000 +4,000 +5.19%
1951 77,000 +3,000 +4.05%
1950 74,000 +4,000 +5.71%
1949 70,000 −1,000 −1.41%
1948 71,000 −4,000 −5.33%
1947 75,000 −4,000 −5.06%
1946 79,000 −1,000 −1.25%
1945 80,000 — —
1940 82,000 −3,000 −3.53%
1939 85,000 −5,000 −5.56%
1938 90,000 +18,000 +25%
1937 72,000 +5,000 +7.46%
1936 67,000 −1,000 −1.47%
1935 68,000 +0 +0%
1934 68,000 +2,000 +3.03%
1933 66,000 −1,000 −1.49%
1932 67,000 +1,000 +1.52%
1931 66,000 −3,000 −4.35%
1930 69,000 +2,000 +2.99%
1929 67,000 +2,000 +3.08%
1928 65,000 −1,000 −1.52%
1927 66,000 −17,000 −20.48%
1926 83,000 +1,000 +1.22%
1925 82,000 +0 +0%
1924 82,000 −51,000 −38.35%
1923 133,000 +16,000 +13.68%
1922 117,000 +17,000 +17%
1921 100,000 −56,000 −35.9%
1920 156,000 −56,000 −26.42%
1919 212,000 +3,000 +1.44%
1918 209,000 +15,000 +7.73%
1917 194,000 +5,000 +2.65%
1916 189,000 +33,000 +21.15%
1915 156,000 +41,000 +35.65%
1914 115,000 +67,000 +139.58%
1913 48,000 +1,000 +2.13%
1912 47,000 +0 +0%
1911 47,000 −1,000 −2.08%
1910 48,000 +2,000 +4.35%
1909 46,000 +0 +0%
1908 46,000 +2,000 +4.55%
1907 44,000 +0 +0%
1906 44,000 +0 +0%
1905 44,000 +0 +0%
1904 44,000 −2,000 −4.35%
1903 46,000 −3,000 −6.12%
1902 49,000 +1,000 +2.08%
1901 48,000 −3,000 −5.88%
1900 51,000 +2,000 +4.08%
1899 49,000 +2,000 +4.26%
1898 47,000 −2,000 −4.08%
1897 49,000 +1,000 +2.08%
1896 48,000 +1,000 +2.13%
1895 47,000 +0 +0%
1894 47,000 +0 +0%
1893 47,000 −4,000 −7.84%
1892 51,000 +2,000 +4.08%
1891 49,000 +4,000 +8.89%
1890 45,000 −3,000 −6.25%
1889 48,000 +0 +0%
1888 48,000 +3,000 +6.67%
1887 45,000 +0 +0%
1886 45,000 −1,000 −2.17%
1885 46,000 −1,000 −2.13%
1884 47,000 +2,000 +4.44%
1883 45,000 −1,000 −2.17%
1882 46,000 +0 +0%
1881 46,000 +0 +0%
1880 46,000 +0 +0%
1879 46,000 +0 +0%
1878 46,000 +0 +0%
1877 46,000 +0 +0%
1876 46,000 +3,000 +6.98%
1875 43,000 +3,000 +7.5%
1874 40,000 +0 +0%
1873 40,000 +0 +0%
1872 40,000 +0 +0%
1871 40,000 +0 +0%
1870 40,000 +0 +0%
1869 40,000 +0 +0%
1868 40,000 +0 +0%
1867 40,000 +0 +0%
1866 40,000 +0 +0%
1865 40,000 +0 +0%
1864 40,000 +0 +0%
1863 40,000 +0 +0%
1862 40,000 +0 +0%
1861 40,000 +0 +0%
1860 40,000 +0 +0%
1859 40,000 +0 +0%
1858 40,000 +0 +0%
1857 40,000 +0 +0%
1856 40,000 +0 +0%
1855 40,000 +1,000 +2.56%
1854 39,000 +1,000 +2.63%
1853 38,000 +1,000 +2.7%
1852 37,000 +1,000 +2.78%
1851 36,000 +1,000 +2.86%
1850 35,000 +1,000 +2.94%
1849 34,000 +1,000 +3.03%
1848 33,000 +1,000 +3.13%
1847 32,000 +0 +0%
1846 32,000 +0 +0%
1845 32,000 +0 +0%
1844 32,000 +0 +0%
1843 32,000 −4,000 −11.11%
1842 36,000 −5,000 −12.2%
1841 41,000 −4,000 −8.89%
1840 45,000 −5,000 −10%
1839 50,000 +2,000 +4.17%
1838 48,000 +2,000 +4.35%
1837 46,000 +16,000 +53.33%
1836 30,000 +0 +0%
1835 30,000 +0 +0%
1834 30,000 −8,000 −21.05%
1833 38,000 −8,000 −17.39%
1832 46,000 −8,000 −14.81%
1831 54,000 −8,000 −12.9%
1830 62,000 — —

Western Europe, 2022

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

FR France 203,000 DE Germany 183,000 NL Netherlands 34,000 AT Austria 23,000 BE Belgium 23,000 CH Switzerland 20,000 LI Liechtenstein 0 LU Luxembourg 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 Belgium

Defense Armed forces personnel

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

Belgium 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.

Belgium by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Belgium by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Belgium by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Belgium by year Defense Arms exports

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

Belgium by year
All indicators for Belgium