Armed forces personnel since 1816 in lower-middle-income countries in 2022 — 6,549,000 people. Since 1965, the indicator has risen by 130.6%.
1965–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Lower-middle-income countries
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 6.55M | +495,000 | +8.18% |
| 2021 | 6.05M | −58,000 | −0.95% |
| 2020 | 6.11M | +122,000 | +2.04% |
| 2019 | 5.99M | +105,000 | +1.78% |
| 2018 | 5.89M | +46,000 | +0.79% |
| 2017 | 5.84M | +140,000 | +2.46% |
| 2016 | 5.7M | +81,000 | +1.44% |
| 2015 | 5.62M | +14,000 | +0.25% |
| 2014 | 5.6M | +3,000 | +0.05% |
| 2013 | 5.6M | −18,000 | −0.32% |
| 2012 | 5.62M | +28,000 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 5.59M | +1,000 | +0.02% |
| 2010 | 5.59M | +101,000 | +1.84% |
| 2009 | 5.49M | −20,000 | −0.36% |
| 2008 | 5.51M | −53,000 | −0.95% |
| 2007 | 5.56M | +44,000 | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 5.52M | +51,000 | +0.93% |
| 2005 | 5.47M | −153,000 | −2.72% |
| 2004 | 5.62M | −153,000 | −2.65% |
| 2003 | 5.77M | +114,000 | +2.01% |
| 2002 | 5.66M | +123,000 | +2.22% |
| 2001 | 5.54M | −1,000 | −0.02% |
| 2000 | 5.54M | +179,000 | +3.34% |
| 1999 | 5.36M | −167,000 | −3.02% |
| 1998 | 5.53M | −226,000 | −3.93% |
| 1997 | 5.75M | +55,000 | +0.97% |
| 1996 | 5.7M | −4,000 | −0.07% |
| 1995 | 5.7M | −64,000 | −1.11% |
| 1994 | 5.76M | −232,000 | −3.87% |
| 1993 | 6M | +73,000 | +1.23% |
| 1992 | 5.92M | +323,000 | +5.77% |
| 1991 | 5.6M | +208,000 | +3.86% |
| 1990 | 5.39M | −465,000 | −7.94% |
| 1989 | 5.86M | −69,000 | −1.16% |
| 1988 | 5.93M | +511,000 | +9.44% |
| 1987 | 5.42M | +105,000 | +1.98% |
| 1986 | 5.31M | +216,000 | +4.24% |
| 1985 | 5.09M | +19,000 | +0.37% |
| 1984 | 5.08M | +387,000 | +8.26% |
| 1983 | 4.69M | −109,000 | −2.27% |
| 1982 | 4.8M | +28,000 | +0.59% |
| 1981 | 4.77M | +186,000 | +4.06% |
| 1980 | 4.58M | −77,000 | −1.65% |
| 1979 | 4.66M | −26,000 | −0.55% |
| 1978 | 4.69M | +61,000 | +1.32% |
| 1977 | 4.63M | −257,000 | −5.26% |
| 1976 | 4.88M | −5,000 | −0.1% |
| 1975 | 4.89M | +45,000 | +0.93% |
| 1974 | 4.84M | +51,000 | +1.06% |
| 1973 | 4.79M | +238,000 | +5.23% |
| 1972 | 4.55M | +322,000 | +7.61% |
| 1971 | 4.23M | +349,000 | +8.99% |
| 1970 | 3.88M | +203,000 | +5.52% |
| 1969 | 3.68M | +222,000 | +6.42% |
| 1968 | 3.46M | +127,000 | +3.81% |
| 1967 | 3.33M | +213,000 | +6.83% |
| 1966 | 3.12M | +277,000 | +9.75% |
| 1965 | 2.84M | — | — |
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.