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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Finland

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Finland in 2022 — 19,000 people. Ranked 99 in the world out of 189. Since 1919, the indicator has fallen by 50%.

2022 19,000 people +0% vs 2021
World rank 99of 189
Period maximum 350,000 people1943
Period minimum 19,000 people2021

Trend over time

1919–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Finland, 1919–20220100,000200,000300,000400,00019191930194119521963197419851996200720181919: 38,000 people1921: 35,000 people1923: 29,000 people1925: 32,000 people1927: 30,000 people1929: 29,000 people1931: 31,000 people1933: 32,000 people1935: 31,000 people1937: 31,000 people1939: 37,000 people1943: 350,000 people1945: 32,000 people1947: 42,000 people1949: 42,000 people1951: 42,000 people1953: 42,000 people1955: 42,000 people1957: 42,000 people1959: 42,000 people1961: 48,000 people1963: 35,000 people1965: 40,000 people1967: 40,000 people1969: 40,000 people1971: 40,000 people1973: 40,000 people1975: 40,000 people1977: 40,000 people1979: 36,000 people1981: 36,000 people1983: 40,000 people1985: 40,000 people1987: 37,000 people1989: 39,000 people1991: 32,000 people1993: 31,000 people1995: 32,000 people1997: 35,000 people1999: 35,000 people2001: 32,000 people2003: 27,000 people2005: 28,000 people2007: 29,000 people2009: 29,000 people2011: 22,000 people2013: 22,000 people2015: 22,000 people2017: 22,000 people2019: 22,000 people2021: 19,000 people2022: 19,000 people
Change over the period: −19,000 (−50%) Average annual rate: -0.67 %

Comparison, 2022

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

Finland 19,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Europe & Central Asia computed 4.15M people
Northern Europe computed 269,000 people
High-income countries computed 5.91M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Finland, by year Finland All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 19,000 +0 +0%
2021 19,000 −3,000 −13.64%
2020 22,000 +0 +0%
2019 22,000 +0 +0%
2018 22,000 +0 +0%
2017 22,000 +0 +0%
2016 22,000 +0 +0%
2015 22,000 +0 +0%
2014 22,000 +0 +0%
2013 22,000 +0 +0%
2012 22,000 +0 +0%
2011 22,000 −1,000 −4.35%
2010 23,000 −6,000 −20.69%
2009 29,000 +0 +0%
2008 29,000 +0 +0%
2007 29,000 +1,000 +3.57%
2006 28,000 +0 +0%
2005 28,000 +0 +0%
2004 28,000 +1,000 +3.7%
2003 27,000 −5,000 −15.63%
2002 32,000 +0 +0%
2001 32,000 +0 +0%
2000 32,000 −3,000 −8.57%
1999 35,000 +0 +0%
1998 35,000 +0 +0%
1997 35,000 +0 +0%
1996 35,000 +3,000 +9.38%
1995 32,000 −3,000 −8.57%
1994 35,000 +4,000 +12.9%
1993 31,000 −2,000 −6.06%
1992 33,000 +1,000 +3.13%
1991 32,000 +1,000 +3.23%
1990 31,000 −8,000 −20.51%
1989 39,000 −1,000 −2.5%
1988 40,000 +3,000 +8.11%
1987 37,000 +0 +0%
1986 37,000 −3,000 −7.5%
1985 40,000 +0 +0%
1984 40,000 +0 +0%
1983 40,000 +4,000 +11.11%
1982 36,000 +0 +0%
1981 36,000 +0 +0%
1980 36,000 +0 +0%
1979 36,000 −4,000 −10%
1978 40,000 +0 +0%
1977 40,000 +4,000 +11.11%
1976 36,000 −4,000 −10%
1975 40,000 +0 +0%
1974 40,000 +0 +0%
1973 40,000 +0 +0%
1972 40,000 +0 +0%
1971 40,000 +0 +0%
1970 40,000 +0 +0%
1969 40,000 +0 +0%
1968 40,000 +0 +0%
1967 40,000 +0 +0%
1966 40,000 +0 +0%
1965 40,000 +0 +0%
1964 40,000 +5,000 +14.29%
1963 35,000 −12,000 −25.53%
1962 47,000 −1,000 −2.08%
1961 48,000 +6,000 +14.29%
1960 42,000 +0 +0%
1959 42,000 +0 +0%
1958 42,000 +0 +0%
1957 42,000 +0 +0%
1956 42,000 +0 +0%
1955 42,000 +0 +0%
1954 42,000 +0 +0%
1953 42,000 +0 +0%
1952 42,000 +0 +0%
1951 42,000 +0 +0%
1950 42,000 +0 +0%
1949 42,000 +0 +0%
1948 42,000 +0 +0%
1947 42,000 +0 +0%
1946 42,000 +10,000 +31.25%
1945 32,000 −318,000 −90.86%
1944 350,000 +0 +0%
1943 350,000 — —
1940 300,000 +263,000 +710.81%
1939 37,000 +1,000 +2.78%
1938 36,000 +5,000 +16.13%
1937 31,000 +0 +0%
1936 31,000 +0 +0%
1935 31,000 +0 +0%
1934 31,000 −1,000 −3.13%
1933 32,000 +3,000 +10.34%
1932 29,000 −2,000 −6.45%
1931 31,000 +4,000 +14.81%
1930 27,000 −2,000 −6.9%
1929 29,000 −1,000 −3.33%
1928 30,000 +0 +0%
1927 30,000 +1,000 +3.45%
1926 29,000 −3,000 −9.38%
1925 32,000 +1,000 +3.23%
1924 31,000 +2,000 +6.9%
1923 29,000 −1,000 −3.33%
1922 30,000 −5,000 −14.29%
1921 35,000 −4,000 −10.26%
1920 39,000 +1,000 +2.63%
1919 38,000 — —

Northern Europe, 2022

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

GB United Kingdom 150,000 NO Norway 25,000 LT Lithuania 23,000 FI Finland 19,000 DK Denmark 15,000 SE Sweden 15,000 IE Ireland 8,000 EE Estonia 7,000 LV Latvia 7,000 IS Iceland 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 Finland

Defense Armed forces personnel

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

Finland 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.

Finland by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Finland by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Finland by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Finland by year Defense Arms exports

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

Finland by year
All indicators for Finland