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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Colombia

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Colombia in 2022 — 256,000 people. Ranked 20 in the world out of 189. Since 1831, the indicator has risen by 8,433.3%.

2022 256,000 people +0% vs 2021
World rank 20of 189
Period maximum 297,000 people2015
Period minimum 1,000 people1857

Trend over time

1831–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Colombia, 1831–20220100,000200,000300,000183118511871189119111931195119711991201120221831: 3,000 people1835: 3,000 people1839: 6,000 people1843: 5,000 people1847: 4,000 people1851: 4,000 people1855: 2,000 people1859: 1,000 people1863: 4,000 people1867: 2,000 people1871: 2,000 people1875: 1,000 people1879: 3,000 people1883: 3,000 people1887: 7,000 people1891: 6,000 people1895: 6,000 people1899: 1,000 people1903: 15,000 people1907: 7,000 people1911: 6,000 people1915: 6,000 people1919: 6,000 people1923: 6,000 people1927: 8,000 people1931: 8,000 people1935: 13,000 people1939: 15,000 people1946: 17,000 people1950: 17,000 people1954: 19,000 people1958: 19,000 people1962: 55,000 people1966: 50,000 people1970: 45,000 people1974: 50,000 people1978: 60,000 people1982: 70,000 people1986: 76,000 people1990: 110,000 people1994: 146,000 people1998: 154,000 people2002: 158,000 people2006: 207,000 people2010: 285,000 people2014: 281,000 people2018: 293,000 people2022: 256,000 people
Change over the period: +253,000 (+8,433.33%) Average annual rate: 2.36 %

Comparison, 2022

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

Colombia 256,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Latin America & Caribbean computed 1.49M people
South America computed 1.08M people
Upper-middle-income countries computed 5.23M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Colombia, by year Colombia All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 256,000 +0 +0%
2021 256,000 −37,000 −12.63%
2020 293,000 +0 +0%
2019 293,000 +0 +0%
2018 293,000 +0 +0%
2017 293,000 −4,000 −1.35%
2016 297,000 +0 +0%
2015 297,000 +16,000 +5.69%
2014 281,000 +0 +0%
2013 281,000 −2,000 −0.71%
2012 283,000 +0 +0%
2011 283,000 −2,000 −0.7%
2010 285,000 +18,000 +6.74%
2009 267,000 +13,000 +5.12%
2008 254,000 +45,000 +21.53%
2007 209,000 +2,000 +0.97%
2006 207,000 +0 +0%
2005 207,000 +3,000 +1.47%
2004 204,000 +4,000 +2%
2003 200,000 +42,000 +26.58%
2002 158,000 +0 +0%
2001 158,000 +6,000 +3.95%
2000 152,000 −3,000 −1.94%
1999 155,000 +1,000 +0.65%
1998 154,000 +5,000 +3.36%
1997 149,000 +3,000 +2.05%
1996 146,000 +0 +0%
1995 146,000 +0 +0%
1994 146,000 +7,000 +5.04%
1993 139,000 +0 +0%
1992 139,000 +29,000 +26.36%
1991 110,000 +0 +0%
1990 110,000 +19,000 +20.88%
1989 91,000 +15,000 +19.74%
1988 76,000 −10,000 −11.63%
1987 86,000 +10,000 +13.16%
1986 76,000 +10,000 +15.15%
1985 66,000 −4,000 −5.71%
1984 70,000 +0 +0%
1983 70,000 +0 +0%
1982 70,000 +5,000 +7.69%
1981 65,000 +5,000 +8.33%
1980 60,000 +0 +0%
1979 60,000 +0 +0%
1978 60,000 +0 +0%
1977 60,000 +0 +0%
1976 60,000 +10,000 +20%
1975 50,000 +0 +0%
1974 50,000 +0 +0%
1973 50,000 +0 +0%
1972 50,000 +0 +0%
1971 50,000 +5,000 +11.11%
1970 45,000 −5,000 −10%
1969 50,000 +0 +0%
1968 50,000 +0 +0%
1967 50,000 +0 +0%
1966 50,000 +0 +0%
1965 50,000 −5,000 −9.09%
1964 55,000 +5,000 +10%
1963 50,000 −5,000 −9.09%
1962 55,000 +0 +0%
1961 55,000 +37,000 +205.56%
1960 18,000 +1,000 +5.88%
1959 17,000 −2,000 −10.53%
1958 19,000 +4,000 +26.67%
1957 15,000 −2,000 −11.76%
1956 17,000 +5,000 +41.67%
1955 12,000 −7,000 −36.84%
1954 19,000 +1,000 +5.56%
1953 18,000 +1,000 +5.88%
1952 17,000 +0 +0%
1951 17,000 +0 +0%
1950 17,000 +0 +0%
1949 17,000 +0 +0%
1948 17,000 +0 +0%
1947 17,000 +0 +0%
1946 17,000 +6,000 +54.55%
1945 11,000 +0 +0%
1944 11,000 +0 +0%
1943 11,000 — —
1939 15,000 −3,000 −16.67%
1938 18,000 +3,000 +20%
1937 15,000 +3,000 +25%
1936 12,000 −1,000 −7.69%
1935 13,000 +0 +0%
1934 13,000 +5,000 +62.5%
1933 8,000 +0 +0%
1932 8,000 +0 +0%
1931 8,000 +1,000 +14.29%
1930 7,000 −2,000 −22.22%
1929 9,000 +0 +0%
1928 9,000 +1,000 +12.5%
1927 8,000 +1,000 +14.29%
1926 7,000 +1,000 +16.67%
1925 6,000 +0 +0%
1924 6,000 +0 +0%
1923 6,000 +0 +0%
1922 6,000 +0 +0%
1921 6,000 +0 +0%
1920 6,000 +0 +0%
1919 6,000 +0 +0%
1918 6,000 +0 +0%
1917 6,000 +0 +0%
1916 6,000 +0 +0%
1915 6,000 +0 +0%
1914 6,000 +0 +0%
1913 6,000 +0 +0%
1912 6,000 +0 +0%
1911 6,000 −1,000 −14.29%
1910 7,000 +0 +0%
1909 7,000 +0 +0%
1908 7,000 +0 +0%
1907 7,000 +1,000 +16.67%
1906 6,000 +1,000 +20%
1905 5,000 −5,000 −50%
1904 10,000 −5,000 −33.33%
1903 15,000 +14,000 +1,400%
1902 1,000 +0 +0%
1901 1,000 +0 +0%
1900 1,000 +0 +0%
1899 1,000 +0 +0%
1898 1,000 +0 +0%
1897 1,000 −5,000 −83.33%
1896 6,000 +0 +0%
1895 6,000 +0 +0%
1894 6,000 +0 +0%
1893 6,000 +0 +0%
1892 6,000 +0 +0%
1891 6,000 +0 +0%
1890 6,000 −1,000 −14.29%
1889 7,000 +0 +0%
1888 7,000 +0 +0%
1887 7,000 +4,000 +133.33%
1886 3,000 +0 +0%
1885 3,000 +0 +0%
1884 3,000 +0 +0%
1883 3,000 +0 +0%
1882 3,000 +0 +0%
1881 3,000 +1,000 +50%
1880 2,000 −1,000 −33.33%
1879 3,000 +0 +0%
1878 3,000 +1,000 +50%
1877 2,000 −1,000 −33.33%
1876 3,000 +2,000 +200%
1875 1,000 −1,000 −50%
1874 2,000 +0 +0%
1873 2,000 +0 +0%
1872 2,000 +0 +0%
1871 2,000 +0 +0%
1870 2,000 +0 +0%
1869 2,000 +0 +0%
1868 2,000 +0 +0%
1867 2,000 +0 +0%
1866 2,000 +0 +0%
1865 2,000 +0 +0%
1864 2,000 −2,000 −50%
1863 4,000 +3,000 +300%
1862 1,000 +0 +0%
1861 1,000 +0 +0%
1860 1,000 +0 +0%
1859 1,000 +0 +0%
1858 1,000 +0 +0%
1857 1,000 −1,000 −50%
1856 2,000 +0 +0%
1855 2,000 +0 +0%
1854 2,000 +0 +0%
1853 2,000 +0 +0%
1852 2,000 −2,000 −50%
1851 4,000 +0 +0%
1850 4,000 +0 +0%
1849 4,000 +0 +0%
1848 4,000 +0 +0%
1847 4,000 +0 +0%
1846 4,000 +0 +0%
1845 4,000 +0 +0%
1844 4,000 −1,000 −20%
1843 5,000 −1,000 −16.67%
1842 6,000 −19,000 −76%
1841 25,000 +5,000 +25%
1840 20,000 +14,000 +233.33%
1839 6,000 +3,000 +100%
1838 3,000 +0 +0%
1837 3,000 +0 +0%
1836 3,000 +0 +0%
1835 3,000 +0 +0%
1834 3,000 +0 +0%
1833 3,000 +0 +0%
1832 3,000 +0 +0%
1831 3,000 — —

South America, 2022

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

BR Brazil 367,000 CO Colombia 256,000 VE Venezuela 123,000 PE Peru 81,000 AR Argentina 72,000 CL Chile 69,000 EC Ecuador 41,000 BO Bolivia 34,000 UY Uruguay 21,000 PY Paraguay 14,000 GY Guyana 3,000 SR Suriname 2,000
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 Colombia

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

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

Colombia by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Colombia by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Colombia by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Colombia by year Defense Arms exports

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

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