Armed forces personnel since 1816 in the European Union in 2022 — 1,341,000 people. Since 1919, the indicator has fallen by 76.9%.
1919–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: European Union
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.34M | −17,000 | −1.25% |
| 2021 | 1.36M | −1,000 | −0.07% |
| 2020 | 1.36M | −1,000 | −0.07% |
| 2019 | 1.36M | +5,000 | +0.37% |
| 2018 | 1.36M | +8,000 | +0.59% |
| 2017 | 1.35M | −15,000 | −1.1% |
| 2016 | 1.36M | −5,000 | −0.37% |
| 2015 | 1.37M | −23,000 | −1.65% |
| 2014 | 1.39M | −30,000 | −2.11% |
| 2013 | 1.42M | −88,000 | −5.84% |
| 2012 | 1.51M | +0 | +0% |
| 2011 | 1.51M | −233,000 | −13.38% |
| 2010 | 1.74M | −132,000 | −7.05% |
| 2009 | 1.87M | +249,000 | +15.33% |
| 2008 | 1.62M | −25,000 | −1.52% |
| 2007 | 1.65M | −84,000 | −4.85% |
| 2006 | 1.73M | −181,000 | −9.46% |
| 2005 | 1.91M | +44,000 | +2.35% |
| 2004 | 1.87M | +42,000 | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 1.83M | −104,000 | −5.38% |
| 2002 | 1.93M | −68,000 | −3.4% |
| 2001 | 2M | −137,000 | −6.41% |
| 2000 | 2.14M | −388,000 | −15.37% |
| 1999 | 2.53M | −159,000 | −5.92% |
| 1998 | 2.68M | −76,000 | −2.75% |
| 1997 | 2.76M | −72,000 | −2.54% |
| 1996 | 2.83M | −88,000 | −3.01% |
| 1995 | 2.92M | −102,000 | −3.38% |
| 1994 | 3.02M | −8,000 | −0.26% |
| 1993 | 3.03M | −44,000 | −1.43% |
| 1992 | 3.07M | −47,000 | −1.51% |
| 1991 | 3.12M | −90,000 | −2.8% |
| 1990 | 3.21M | +323,000 | +11.18% |
| 1989 | 2.89M | −145,000 | −4.78% |
| 1988 | 3.03M | −89,000 | −2.85% |
| 1987 | 3.12M | +19,000 | +0.61% |
| 1986 | 3.1M | +20,000 | +0.65% |
| 1985 | 3.08M | −27,000 | −0.87% |
| 1984 | 3.11M | +13,000 | +0.42% |
| 1983 | 3.1M | −20,000 | −0.64% |
| 1982 | 3.12M | +28,000 | +0.91% |
| 1981 | 3.09M | +26,000 | +0.85% |
| 1980 | 3.06M | +9,000 | +0.29% |
| 1979 | 3.05M | +15,000 | +0.49% |
| 1978 | 3.04M | +35,000 | +1.17% |
| 1977 | 3M | −42,000 | −1.38% |
| 1976 | 3.05M | −54,000 | −1.74% |
| 1975 | 3.1M | −197,000 | −5.98% |
| 1974 | 3.3M | +50,000 | +1.54% |
| 1973 | 3.25M | +42,000 | +1.31% |
| 1972 | 3.21M | +84,000 | +2.69% |
| 1971 | 3.12M | +30,000 | +0.97% |
| 1970 | 3.09M | +19,000 | +0.62% |
| 1969 | 3.07M | +6,000 | +0.2% |
| 1968 | 3.07M | −3,000 | −0.1% |
| 1967 | 3.07M | −10,000 | −0.32% |
| 1966 | 3.08M | −66,000 | −2.1% |
| 1965 | 3.15M | −337,000 | −9.68% |
| 1964 | 3.48M | +169,000 | +5.1% |
| 1963 | 3.31M | +212,000 | +6.84% |
| 1962 | 3.1M | −8,000 | −0.26% |
| 1961 | 3.11M | +113,000 | +3.77% |
| 1960 | 3M | +25,000 | +0.84% |
| 1959 | 2.97M | −80,000 | −2.62% |
| 1958 | 3.05M | +35,000 | +1.16% |
| 1957 | 3.02M | — | — |
| 1940 | 12.24M | +6.88M | +128.6% |
| 1939 | 5.35M | +1.97M | +58.23% |
| 1938 | 3.38M | +298,000 | +9.66% |
| 1937 | 3.09M | +269,000 | +9.55% |
| 1936 | 2.82M | −538,000 | −16.04% |
| 1935 | 3.35M | +1.3M | +63.13% |
| 1934 | 2.06M | +163,000 | +8.61% |
| 1933 | 1.89M | +58,000 | +3.16% |
| 1932 | 1.84M | −13,000 | −0.7% |
| 1931 | 1.85M | −2,000 | −0.11% |
| 1930 | 1.85M | +6,000 | +0.33% |
| 1929 | 1.84M | −67,000 | −3.51% |
| 1928 | 1.91M | +10,000 | +0.53% |
| 1927 | 1.9M | −43,000 | −2.21% |
| 1926 | 1.94M | +11,000 | +0.57% |
| 1925 | 1.93M | −101,000 | −4.97% |
| 1924 | 2.03M | −79,000 | −3.74% |
| 1923 | 2.11M | −48,000 | −2.22% |
| 1922 | 2.16M | +28,000 | +1.31% |
| 1921 | 2.13M | −2.32M | −52.07% |
| 1920 | 4.45M | −1.36M | −23.46% |
| 1919 | 5.81M | — | — |
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).