Armed forces personnel since 1816 in BRICS in 2022 — 6,215,000 people. Since 1923, the indicator has risen by 63%.
1923–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: BRICS
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6.22M | +310,000 | +5.25% |
| 2021 | 5.91M | +3,000 | +0.05% |
| 2020 | 5.9M | +140,000 | +2.43% |
| 2019 | 5.76M | +49,000 | +0.86% |
| 2018 | 5.71M | −80,000 | −1.38% |
| 2017 | 5.79M | −68,000 | −1.16% |
| 2016 | 5.86M | +49,000 | +0.84% |
| 2015 | 5.81M | −41,000 | −0.7% |
| 2014 | 5.85M | +48,000 | +0.83% |
| 2013 | 5.81M | −17,000 | −0.29% |
| 2012 | 5.82M | −90,000 | −1.52% |
| 2011 | 5.91M | +9,000 | +0.15% |
| 2010 | 5.9M | +146,000 | +2.54% |
| 2009 | 5.76M | +9,000 | +0.16% |
| 2008 | 5.75M | −98,000 | −1.68% |
| 2007 | 5.85M | −2,000 | −0.03% |
| 2006 | 5.85M | +99,000 | +1.72% |
| 2005 | 5.75M | −11,000 | −0.19% |
| 2004 | 5.76M | −12,000 | −0.21% |
| 2003 | 5.77M | +9,000 | +0.16% |
| 2002 | 5.76M | −12,000 | −0.21% |
| 2001 | 5.78M | −568,000 | −8.95% |
| 2000 | 6.34M | +554,000 | +9.57% |
| 1999 | 5.79M | −287,000 | −4.72% |
| 1998 | 6.08M | −370,000 | −5.74% |
| 1997 | 6.45M | −15,000 | −0.23% |
| 1996 | 6.46M | −370,000 | −5.42% |
| 1995 | 6.83M | +2,000 | +0.03% |
| 1994 | 6.83M | −186,000 | −2.65% |
| 1993 | 7.02M | −542,000 | −7.17% |
| 1992 | 7.56M | −1.09M | −12.58% |
| 1991 | 8.64M | −685,000 | −7.34% |
| 1990 | 9.33M | −882,000 | −8.64% |
| 1989 | 10.21M | −229,000 | −2.19% |
| 1988 | 10.44M | +429,000 | +4.29% |
| 1987 | 10.01M | −469,000 | −4.48% |
| 1986 | 10.48M | −38,000 | −0.36% |
| 1985 | 10.52M | +182,000 | +1.76% |
| 1984 | 10.34M | +142,000 | +1.39% |
| 1983 | 10.19M | −278,000 | −2.65% |
| 1982 | 10.47M | −379,000 | −3.49% |
| 1981 | 10.85M | +78,000 | +0.72% |
| 1980 | 10.77M | −223,000 | −2.03% |
| 1979 | 11M | +143,000 | +1.32% |
| 1978 | 10.85M | +231,000 | +2.17% |
| 1977 | 10.62M | −531,000 | −4.76% |
| 1976 | 11.15M | −88,000 | −0.78% |
| 1975 | 11.24M | +142,000 | +1.28% |
| 1974 | 11.1M | +1.16M | +11.7% |
| 1973 | 9.94M | +190,000 | +1.95% |
| 1972 | 9.75M | +266,000 | +2.81% |
| 1971 | 9.48M | −238,000 | −2.45% |
| 1970 | 9.72M | +180,000 | +1.89% |
| 1969 | 9.54M | +205,000 | +2.2% |
| 1968 | 9.33M | +366,000 | +4.08% |
| 1967 | 8.97M | +236,000 | +2.7% |
| 1966 | 8.73M | +1.4M | +19.1% |
| 1965 | 7.33M | −685,000 | −8.55% |
| 1964 | 8.02M | +398,000 | +5.22% |
| 1963 | 7.62M | +734,000 | +10.66% |
| 1962 | 6.88M | +145,000 | +2.15% |
| 1961 | 6.74M | −1.42M | −17.37% |
| 1960 | 8.16M | +101,000 | +1.25% |
| 1959 | 8.06M | −195,000 | −2.36% |
| 1958 | 8.25M | −386,000 | −4.47% |
| 1957 | 8.64M | −494,000 | −5.41% |
| 1956 | 9.13M | −511,000 | −5.3% |
| 1955 | 9.64M | −145,000 | −1.48% |
| 1954 | 9.79M | +86,000 | +0.89% |
| 1953 | 9.7M | −63,000 | −0.65% |
| 1952 | 9.76M | +647,000 | +7.1% |
| 1951 | 9.12M | −480,000 | −5% |
| 1950 | 9.6M | +2.54M | +36.02% |
| 1949 | 7.06M | −89,000 | −1.25% |
| 1948 | 7.14M | −134,000 | −1.84% |
| 1947 | 7.28M | +360,000 | +5.2% |
| 1946 | 6.92M | — | — |
| 1939 | 3.41M | +750,000 | +28.23% |
| 1938 | 2.66M | −970,000 | −26.74% |
| 1937 | 3.63M | +433,000 | +13.56% |
| 1936 | 3.19M | −2,000 | −0.06% |
| 1935 | 3.2M | +359,000 | +12.65% |
| 1934 | 2.84M | +89,000 | +3.24% |
| 1933 | 2.75M | +373,000 | +15.71% |
| 1932 | 2.38M | +14,000 | +0.59% |
| 1931 | 2.36M | +1,000 | +0.04% |
| 1930 | 2.36M | −1,000 | −0.04% |
| 1929 | 2.36M | +9,000 | +0.38% |
| 1928 | 2.35M | −4,000 | −0.17% |
| 1927 | 2.36M | −5,000 | −0.21% |
| 1926 | 2.36M | −3,000 | −0.13% |
| 1925 | 2.36M | — | — |
| 1923 | 3.81M | — | — |
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.
The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.
Defense Armed forces as a share of the populationWhat share of a country’s population military personnel make up — a measure of how militarized a society is.
Defense Military expenditure in dollarsThe absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.
Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)The share of GDP a country spends on defense.
Defense Military expenditure share of the budgetWhat part of government spending goes to defense.
Defense Arms exportsTransfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).