Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Middle East & North Africa in 2022 — 2,579,000 people. Since 1961, the indicator has risen by 243.9%.
1961–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Middle East & North Africa
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2.58M | +20,000 | +0.78% |
| 2021 | 2.56M | +39,000 | +1.55% |
| 2020 | 2.52M | +246,000 | +10.82% |
| 2019 | 2.27M | −4,000 | −0.18% |
| 2018 | 2.28M | +35,000 | +1.56% |
| 2017 | 2.24M | −3,000 | −0.13% |
| 2016 | 2.25M | −213,000 | −8.66% |
| 2015 | 2.46M | −90,000 | −3.53% |
| 2014 | 2.55M | +7,000 | +0.28% |
| 2013 | 2.54M | −116,000 | −4.36% |
| 2012 | 2.66M | −98,000 | −3.56% |
| 2011 | 2.76M | −362,000 | −11.61% |
| 2010 | 3.12M | +48,000 | +1.56% |
| 2009 | 3.07M | +58,000 | +1.93% |
| 2008 | 3.01M | +248,000 | +8.97% |
| 2007 | 2.76M | +25,000 | +0.91% |
| 2006 | 2.74M | +172,000 | +6.7% |
| 2005 | 2.57M | −148,000 | −5.45% |
| 2004 | 2.72M | −154,000 | −5.37% |
| 2003 | 2.87M | +33,000 | +1.16% |
| 2002 | 2.84M | −36,000 | −1.25% |
| 2001 | 2.87M | −22,000 | −0.76% |
| 2000 | 2.89M | +102,000 | +3.65% |
| 1999 | 2.79M | +5,000 | +0.18% |
| 1998 | 2.79M | −101,000 | −3.5% |
| 1997 | 2.89M | −6,000 | −0.21% |
| 1996 | 2.89M | +21,000 | +0.73% |
| 1995 | 2.87M | +38,000 | +1.34% |
| 1994 | 2.84M | −44,000 | −1.53% |
| 1993 | 2.88M | +0 | +0% |
| 1992 | 2.88M | −113,000 | −3.78% |
| 1991 | 2.99M | −845,000 | −22.02% |
| 1990 | 3.84M | +351,000 | +10.07% |
| 1989 | 3.49M | −24,000 | −0.68% |
| 1988 | 3.51M | +408,000 | +13.15% |
| 1987 | 3.1M | +180,000 | +6.16% |
| 1986 | 2.92M | −15,000 | −0.51% |
| 1985 | 2.94M | +24,000 | +0.82% |
| 1984 | 2.91M | +569,000 | +24.27% |
| 1983 | 2.34M | +167,000 | +7.67% |
| 1982 | 2.18M | +58,000 | +2.74% |
| 1981 | 2.12M | −50,000 | −2.31% |
| 1980 | 2.17M | −19,000 | −0.87% |
| 1979 | 2.19M | +189,000 | +9.45% |
| 1978 | 2M | +312,000 | +18.49% |
| 1977 | 1.69M | −191,000 | −10.17% |
| 1976 | 1.88M | +112,000 | +6.34% |
| 1975 | 1.77M | +220,000 | +14.23% |
| 1974 | 1.55M | +132,000 | +9.34% |
| 1973 | 1.41M | +26,000 | +1.87% |
| 1972 | 1.39M | +103,000 | +8.02% |
| 1971 | 1.29M | +158,000 | +14.02% |
| 1970 | 1.13M | +58,000 | +5.43% |
| 1969 | 1.07M | +70,000 | +7.01% |
| 1968 | 999,000 | +2,000 | +0.2% |
| 1967 | 997,000 | +30,000 | +3.1% |
| 1966 | 967,000 | +65,000 | +7.21% |
| 1965 | 902,000 | +63,000 | +7.51% |
| 1964 | 839,000 | +38,000 | +4.74% |
| 1963 | 801,000 | −28,000 | −3.38% |
| 1962 | 829,000 | +79,000 | +10.53% |
| 1961 | 750,000 | — | — |
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).