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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Ireland

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Ireland in 2022 — 8,000 people. Ranked 132 in the world out of 189. Since 1922, the indicator has fallen by 63.6%.

2022 8,000 people −11.11% vs 2021
World rank 132of 189
Period maximum 22,000 people1922
Period minimum 6,000 people1930

Trend over time

1922–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Ireland, 1922–2022010,00020,00030,000192219321942195219621972198219922002201220221922: 22,000 people1924: 20,000 people1926: 12,000 people1928: 10,000 people1930: 6,000 people1932: 6,000 people1934: 6,000 people1936: 6,000 people1938: 6,000 people1940: 8,000 people1942: 9,000 people1944: 10,000 people1946: 11,000 people1948: 11,000 people1950: 13,000 people1952: 13,000 people1954: 13,000 people1956: 13,000 people1958: 13,000 people1960: 13,000 people1962: 7,000 people1964: 8,000 people1966: 8,000 people1968: 8,000 people1970: 8,000 people1972: 9,000 people1974: 11,000 people1976: 14,000 people1978: 14,000 people1980: 19,000 people1982: 21,000 people1984: 13,000 people1986: 14,000 people1988: 13,000 people1990: 13,000 people1992: 13,000 people1994: 17,000 people1996: 17,000 people1998: 17,000 people2000: 12,000 people2002: 10,000 people2004: 10,000 people2006: 10,000 people2008: 10,000 people2010: 10,000 people2012: 10,000 people2014: 9,000 people2016: 9,000 people2018: 9,000 people2020: 9,000 people2022: 8,000 people
Change over the period: −14,000 (−63.64%) Average annual rate: -1.01 %

Comparison, 2022

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

Ireland 8,000 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 — Ireland, by year Ireland All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 8,000 −1,000 −11.11%
2021 9,000 +0 +0%
2020 9,000 +0 +0%
2019 9,000 +0 +0%
2018 9,000 +0 +0%
2017 9,000 +0 +0%
2016 9,000 +0 +0%
2015 9,000 +0 +0%
2014 9,000 +0 +0%
2013 9,000 −1,000 −10%
2012 10,000 +0 +0%
2011 10,000 +0 +0%
2010 10,000 +0 +0%
2009 10,000 +0 +0%
2008 10,000 +0 +0%
2007 10,000 +0 +0%
2006 10,000 +0 +0%
2005 10,000 +0 +0%
2004 10,000 +0 +0%
2003 10,000 +0 +0%
2002 10,000 +0 +0%
2001 10,000 −2,000 −16.67%
2000 12,000 −2,000 −14.29%
1999 14,000 −3,000 −17.65%
1998 17,000 +0 +0%
1997 17,000 +0 +0%
1996 17,000 +0 +0%
1995 17,000 +0 +0%
1994 17,000 +4,000 +30.77%
1993 13,000 +0 +0%
1992 13,000 +0 +0%
1991 13,000 +0 +0%
1990 13,000 +0 +0%
1989 13,000 +0 +0%
1988 13,000 −1,000 −7.14%
1987 14,000 +0 +0%
1986 14,000 +0 +0%
1985 14,000 +1,000 +7.69%
1984 13,000 −5,000 −27.78%
1983 18,000 −3,000 −14.29%
1982 21,000 +2,000 +10.53%
1981 19,000 +0 +0%
1980 19,000 +5,000 +35.71%
1979 14,000 +0 +0%
1978 14,000 +1,000 +7.69%
1977 13,000 −1,000 −7.14%
1976 14,000 +3,000 +27.27%
1975 11,000 +0 +0%
1974 11,000 +1,000 +10%
1973 10,000 +1,000 +11.11%
1972 9,000 +0 +0%
1971 9,000 +1,000 +12.5%
1970 8,000 +0 +0%
1969 8,000 +0 +0%
1968 8,000 +0 +0%
1967 8,000 +0 +0%
1966 8,000 +0 +0%
1965 8,000 +0 +0%
1964 8,000 +0 +0%
1963 8,000 +1,000 +14.29%
1962 7,000 +1,000 +16.67%
1961 6,000 −7,000 −53.85%
1960 13,000 +0 +0%
1959 13,000 +0 +0%
1958 13,000 +0 +0%
1957 13,000 +0 +0%
1956 13,000 +0 +0%
1955 13,000 +0 +0%
1954 13,000 +0 +0%
1953 13,000 +0 +0%
1952 13,000 +0 +0%
1951 13,000 +0 +0%
1950 13,000 +0 +0%
1949 13,000 +2,000 +18.18%
1948 11,000 +0 +0%
1947 11,000 +0 +0%
1946 11,000 +0 +0%
1945 11,000 +1,000 +10%
1944 10,000 +0 +0%
1943 10,000 +1,000 +11.11%
1942 9,000 +1,000 +12.5%
1941 8,000 +0 +0%
1940 8,000 +0 +0%
1939 8,000 +2,000 +33.33%
1938 6,000 +0 +0%
1937 6,000 +0 +0%
1936 6,000 +0 +0%
1935 6,000 +0 +0%
1934 6,000 +0 +0%
1933 6,000 +0 +0%
1932 6,000 +0 +0%
1931 6,000 +0 +0%
1930 6,000 −1,000 −14.29%
1929 7,000 −3,000 −30%
1928 10,000 −3,000 −23.08%
1927 13,000 +1,000 +8.33%
1926 12,000 −6,000 −33.33%
1925 18,000 −2,000 −10%
1924 20,000 +0 +0%
1923 20,000 −2,000 −9.09%
1922 22,000 — —

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 Ireland

Defense Armed forces personnel

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

Ireland 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.

Ireland by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Ireland by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Ireland by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Ireland by year Defense Arms exports

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

Ireland by year
All indicators for Ireland