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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Netherlands

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in the Netherlands in 2022 — 34,000 people. Ranked 74 in the world out of 189. Since 1816, the indicator has risen by 30.8%.

2022 34,000 people +0% vs 2021
World rank 74of 189
Period maximum 233,000 people1947
Period minimum 14,000 people1919

Trend over time

1816–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Netherlands, 1816–20220100,000200,000300,000181618371858187919001921194219631984200520221816: 26,000 people1820: 27,000 people1824: 28,000 people1828: 29,000 people1832: 38,000 people1836: 32,000 people1840: 22,000 people1844: 30,000 people1848: 32,000 people1852: 29,000 people1856: 38,000 people1860: 39,000 people1864: 39,000 people1868: 39,000 people1872: 39,000 people1876: 41,000 people1880: 41,000 people1884: 46,000 people1888: 38,000 people1892: 30,000 people1896: 29,000 people1900: 31,000 people1904: 31,000 people1908: 27,000 people1912: 46,000 people1916: 28,000 people1920: 14,000 people1924: 15,000 people1928: 14,000 people1932: 16,000 people1936: 15,000 people1940: 64,000 people1948: 233,000 people1952: 211,000 people1956: 181,000 people1960: 151,000 people1964: 125,000 people1968: 120,000 people1972: 115,000 people1976: 106,000 people1980: 107,000 people1984: 103,000 people1988: 107,000 people1992: 90,000 people1996: 64,000 people2000: 52,000 people2004: 53,000 people2008: 46,000 people2012: 37,000 people2016: 36,000 people2020: 35,000 people2022: 34,000 people
Change over the period: +8,000 (+30.77%) Average annual rate: 0.13 %

Comparison, 2022

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

Netherlands 34,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Europe & Central Asia computed 4.15M people
Western Europe computed 486,000 people
High-income countries computed 5.91M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Netherlands, by year Netherlands All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 34,000 +0 +0%
2021 34,000 −1,000 −2.86%
2020 35,000 +0 +0%
2019 35,000 +0 +0%
2018 35,000 +0 +0%
2017 35,000 −1,000 −2.78%
2016 36,000 −1,000 −2.7%
2015 37,000 +0 +0%
2014 37,000 +0 +0%
2013 37,000 +0 +0%
2012 37,000 +0 +0%
2011 37,000 −10,000 −21.28%
2010 47,000 +6,000 +14.63%
2009 41,000 −5,000 −10.87%
2008 46,000 −7,000 −13.21%
2007 53,000 +0 +0%
2006 53,000 +0 +0%
2005 53,000 +0 +0%
2004 53,000 +0 +0%
2003 53,000 +3,000 +6%
2002 50,000 +0 +0%
2001 50,000 −2,000 −3.85%
2000 52,000 −2,000 −3.7%
1999 54,000 −1,000 −1.82%
1998 55,000 −2,000 −3.51%
1997 57,000 −7,000 −10.94%
1996 64,000 −3,000 −4.48%
1995 67,000 −10,000 −12.99%
1994 77,000 −9,000 −10.47%
1993 86,000 −4,000 −4.44%
1992 90,000 −14,000 −13.46%
1991 104,000 +0 +0%
1990 104,000 −2,000 −1.89%
1989 106,000 −1,000 −0.93%
1988 107,000 +1,000 +0.94%
1987 106,000 +0 +0%
1986 106,000 +3,000 +2.91%
1985 103,000 +0 +0%
1984 103,000 −1,000 −0.96%
1983 104,000 −2,000 −1.89%
1982 106,000 −2,000 −1.85%
1981 108,000 +1,000 +0.93%
1980 107,000 +0 +0%
1979 107,000 +1,000 +0.94%
1978 106,000 +3,000 +2.91%
1977 103,000 −3,000 −2.83%
1976 106,000 −1,000 −0.93%
1975 107,000 −3,000 −2.73%
1974 110,000 −1,000 −0.9%
1973 111,000 −4,000 −3.48%
1972 115,000 +5,000 +4.55%
1971 110,000 −5,000 −4.35%
1970 115,000 −5,000 −4.17%
1969 120,000 +0 +0%
1968 120,000 +0 +0%
1967 120,000 +0 +0%
1966 120,000 −5,000 −4%
1965 125,000 +0 +0%
1964 125,000 −5,000 −3.85%
1963 130,000 −11,000 −7.8%
1962 141,000 +0 +0%
1961 141,000 −10,000 −6.62%
1960 151,000 −7,000 −4.43%
1959 158,000 −8,000 −4.82%
1958 166,000 −7,000 −4.05%
1957 173,000 −8,000 −4.42%
1956 181,000 −7,000 −3.72%
1955 188,000 −8,000 −4.08%
1954 196,000 −7,000 −3.45%
1953 203,000 −8,000 −3.79%
1952 211,000 −7,000 −3.21%
1951 218,000 −8,000 −3.54%
1950 226,000 −7,000 −3%
1949 233,000 +0 +0%
1948 233,000 +0 +0%
1947 233,000 +133,000 +133%
1946 100,000 +13,000 +14.94%
1945 87,000 — —
1940 64,000 +17,000 +36.17%
1939 47,000 +31,000 +193.75%
1938 16,000 +0 +0%
1937 16,000 +1,000 +6.67%
1936 15,000 −1,000 −6.25%
1935 16,000 +0 +0%
1934 16,000 +0 +0%
1933 16,000 +0 +0%
1932 16,000 +0 +0%
1931 16,000 +2,000 +14.29%
1930 14,000 +0 +0%
1929 14,000 +0 +0%
1928 14,000 +0 +0%
1927 14,000 −2,000 −12.5%
1926 16,000 +0 +0%
1925 16,000 +1,000 +6.67%
1924 15,000 +0 +0%
1923 15,000 +0 +0%
1922 15,000 +1,000 +7.14%
1921 14,000 +0 +0%
1920 14,000 +0 +0%
1919 14,000 −5,000 −26.32%
1918 19,000 −4,000 −17.39%
1917 23,000 −5,000 −17.86%
1916 28,000 −5,000 −15.15%
1915 33,000 −8,000 −19.51%
1914 41,000 −4,000 −8.89%
1913 45,000 −1,000 −2.17%
1912 46,000 +1,000 +2.22%
1911 45,000 +17,000 +60.71%
1910 28,000 +1,000 +3.7%
1909 27,000 +0 +0%
1908 27,000 −1,000 −3.57%
1907 28,000 +0 +0%
1906 28,000 −6,000 −17.65%
1905 34,000 +3,000 +9.68%
1904 31,000 +0 +0%
1903 31,000 −4,000 −11.43%
1902 35,000 +4,000 +12.9%
1901 31,000 +0 +0%
1900 31,000 +2,000 +6.9%
1899 29,000 +0 +0%
1898 29,000 +0 +0%
1897 29,000 +0 +0%
1896 29,000 +0 +0%
1895 29,000 +0 +0%
1894 29,000 +0 +0%
1893 29,000 −1,000 −3.33%
1892 30,000 −4,000 −11.76%
1891 34,000 −8,000 −19.05%
1890 42,000 +4,000 +10.53%
1889 38,000 +0 +0%
1888 38,000 +1,000 +2.7%
1887 37,000 −7,000 −15.91%
1886 44,000 −2,000 −4.35%
1885 46,000 +0 +0%
1884 46,000 +1,000 +2.22%
1883 45,000 +1,000 +2.27%
1882 44,000 +1,000 +2.33%
1881 43,000 +2,000 +4.88%
1880 41,000 +1,000 +2.5%
1879 40,000 +0 +0%
1878 40,000 +1,000 +2.56%
1877 39,000 −2,000 −4.88%
1876 41,000 +0 +0%
1875 41,000 +1,000 +2.5%
1874 40,000 +1,000 +2.56%
1873 39,000 +0 +0%
1872 39,000 +0 +0%
1871 39,000 +0 +0%
1870 39,000 +0 +0%
1869 39,000 +0 +0%
1868 39,000 +1,000 +2.63%
1867 38,000 +0 +0%
1866 38,000 −1,000 −2.56%
1865 39,000 +0 +0%
1864 39,000 +0 +0%
1863 39,000 +0 +0%
1862 39,000 +0 +0%
1861 39,000 +0 +0%
1860 39,000 +1,000 +2.63%
1859 38,000 +0 +0%
1858 38,000 +0 +0%
1857 38,000 +0 +0%
1856 38,000 +0 +0%
1855 38,000 +5,000 +15.15%
1854 33,000 +2,000 +6.45%
1853 31,000 +2,000 +6.9%
1852 29,000 −1,000 −3.33%
1851 30,000 +0 +0%
1850 30,000 −1,000 −3.23%
1849 31,000 −1,000 −3.13%
1848 32,000 −1,000 −3.03%
1847 33,000 +1,000 +3.13%
1846 32,000 +0 +0%
1845 32,000 +2,000 +6.67%
1844 30,000 +2,000 +7.14%
1843 28,000 +2,000 +7.69%
1842 26,000 +2,000 +8.33%
1841 24,000 +2,000 +9.09%
1840 22,000 −10,000 −31.25%
1839 32,000 +0 +0%
1838 32,000 −11,000 −25.58%
1837 43,000 +11,000 +34.38%
1836 32,000 +0 +0%
1835 32,000 +0 +0%
1834 32,000 −6,000 −15.79%
1833 38,000 +0 +0%
1832 38,000 −42,000 −52.5%
1831 80,000 +50,000 +166.67%
1830 30,000 +1,000 +3.45%
1829 29,000 +0 +0%
1828 29,000 +0 +0%
1827 29,000 +1,000 +3.57%
1826 28,000 +0 +0%
1825 28,000 +0 +0%
1824 28,000 +0 +0%
1823 28,000 +1,000 +3.7%
1822 27,000 +0 +0%
1821 27,000 +0 +0%
1820 27,000 +0 +0%
1819 27,000 +0 +0%
1818 27,000 +0 +0%
1817 27,000 +1,000 +3.85%
1816 26,000 — —

Western Europe, 2022

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

FR France 203,000 DE Germany 183,000 NL Netherlands 34,000 AT Austria 23,000 BE Belgium 23,000 CH Switzerland 20,000 LI Liechtenstein 0 LU Luxembourg 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 the Netherlands

Defense Armed forces personnel

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

Netherlands 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.

Netherlands by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Netherlands by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Netherlands by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Netherlands by year Defense Arms exports

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

Netherlands by year
All indicators for the Netherlands