Contact Contacts
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Spain

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Spain in 2022 — 124,000 people. Ranked 39 in the world out of 189. Since 1816, the indicator has fallen by 0.8%.

2022 124,000 people +0.81% vs 2021
World rank 39of 189
Period maximum 550,000 people1938
Period minimum 60,000 people1833

Trend over time

1816–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Spain, 1816–20220200,000400,000600,000181618371858187919001921194219631984200520221816: 125,000 people1820: 146,000 people1824: 93,000 people1828: 91,000 people1832: 89,000 people1836: 95,000 people1840: 79,000 people1844: 107,000 people1848: 120,000 people1852: 110,000 people1856: 104,000 people1860: 125,000 people1864: 118,000 people1868: 98,000 people1872: 97,000 people1876: 104,000 people1880: 159,000 people1884: 150,000 people1888: 149,000 people1892: 131,000 people1896: 149,000 people1900: 111,000 people1904: 112,000 people1908: 111,000 people1912: 145,000 people1916: 189,000 people1920: 236,000 people1924: 161,000 people1928: 128,000 people1932: 138,000 people1936: 475,000 people1940: 531,000 people1944: 483,000 people1948: 464,000 people1952: 528,000 people1956: 478,000 people1960: 371,000 people1964: 370,000 people1968: 370,000 people1972: 365,000 people1976: 368,000 people1980: 356,000 people1984: 342,000 people1988: 304,000 people1992: 198,000 people1996: 203,000 people2000: 166,000 people2004: 149,000 people2008: 149,000 people2012: 143,000 people2016: 122,000 people2020: 120,000 people2022: 124,000 people
Change over the period: −1,000 (−0.8%) Average annual rate: 0 %

Comparison, 2022

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

Spain 124,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Europe & Central Asia computed 4.15M people
Southern Europe computed 526,000 people
High-income countries computed 5.91M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Spain, by year Spain All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 124,000 +1,000 +0.81%
2021 123,000 +3,000 +2.5%
2020 120,000 +0 +0%
2019 120,000 −1,000 −0.83%
2018 121,000 −2,000 −1.63%
2017 123,000 +1,000 +0.82%
2016 122,000 −11,000 −8.27%
2015 133,000 −2,000 −1.48%
2014 135,000 −1,000 −0.74%
2013 136,000 −7,000 −4.9%
2012 143,000 +1,000 +0.7%
2011 142,000 +14,000 +10.94%
2010 128,000 −94,000 −42.34%
2009 222,000 +73,000 +48.99%
2008 149,000 +2,000 +1.36%
2007 147,000 +0 +0%
2006 147,000 +0 +0%
2005 147,000 −2,000 −1.34%
2004 149,000 −2,000 −1.32%
2003 151,000 −27,000 −15.17%
2002 178,000 +34,000 +23.61%
2001 144,000 −22,000 −13.25%
2000 166,000 +11,000 +7.1%
1999 155,000 −34,000 −17.99%
1998 189,000 −8,000 −4.06%
1997 197,000 −6,000 −2.96%
1996 203,000 −7,000 −3.33%
1995 210,000 −3,000 −1.41%
1994 213,000 +9,000 +4.41%
1993 204,000 +6,000 +3.03%
1992 198,000 −48,000 −19.51%
1991 246,000 −17,000 −6.46%
1990 263,000 −14,000 −5.05%
1989 277,000 −27,000 −8.88%
1988 304,000 −10,000 −3.18%
1987 314,000 +0 +0%
1986 314,000 +0 +0%
1985 314,000 −28,000 −8.19%
1984 342,000 −13,000 −3.66%
1983 355,000 −17,000 −4.57%
1982 372,000 +6,000 +1.64%
1981 366,000 +10,000 +2.81%
1980 356,000 −18,000 −4.81%
1979 374,000 +2,000 +0.54%
1978 372,000 −1,000 −0.27%
1977 373,000 +5,000 +1.36%
1976 368,000 −7,000 −1.87%
1975 375,000 +0 +0%
1974 375,000 +10,000 +2.74%
1973 365,000 +0 +0%
1972 365,000 +0 +0%
1971 365,000 +0 +0%
1970 365,000 +0 +0%
1969 365,000 −5,000 −1.35%
1968 370,000 +0 +0%
1967 370,000 −5,000 −1.33%
1966 375,000 +5,000 +1.35%
1965 370,000 +0 +0%
1964 370,000 +0 +0%
1963 370,000 +30,000 +8.82%
1962 340,000 −5,000 −1.45%
1961 345,000 −26,000 −7.01%
1960 371,000 −27,000 −6.78%
1959 398,000 −26,000 −6.13%
1958 424,000 −27,000 −5.99%
1957 451,000 −27,000 −5.65%
1956 478,000 −27,000 −5.35%
1955 505,000 +0 +0%
1954 505,000 +2,000 +0.4%
1953 503,000 −25,000 −4.73%
1952 528,000 +0 +0%
1951 528,000 +34,000 +6.88%
1950 494,000 +50,000 +11.26%
1949 444,000 −20,000 −4.31%
1948 464,000 +0 +0%
1947 464,000 +2,000 +0.43%
1946 462,000 −15,000 −3.14%
1945 477,000 −6,000 −1.24%
1944 483,000 −14,000 −2.82%
1943 497,000 −11,000 −2.17%
1942 508,000 −14,000 −2.68%
1941 522,000 −9,000 −1.69%
1940 531,000 −8,000 −1.48%
1939 539,000 −11,000 −2%
1938 550,000 +50,000 +10%
1937 500,000 +25,000 +5.26%
1936 475,000 +334,000 +236.88%
1935 141,000 +3,000 +2.17%
1934 138,000 −8,000 −5.48%
1933 146,000 +8,000 +5.8%
1932 138,000 +4,000 +2.99%
1931 134,000 +0 +0%
1930 134,000 +2,000 +1.52%
1929 132,000 +4,000 +3.13%
1928 128,000 −1,000 −0.78%
1927 129,000 −25,000 −16.23%
1926 154,000 +2,000 +1.32%
1925 152,000 −9,000 −5.59%
1924 161,000 −38,000 −19.1%
1923 199,000 −36,000 −15.32%
1922 235,000 +28,000 +13.53%
1921 207,000 −29,000 −12.29%
1920 236,000 +12,000 +5.36%
1919 224,000 +12,000 +5.66%
1918 212,000 +14,000 +7.07%
1917 198,000 +9,000 +4.76%
1916 189,000 +14,000 +8%
1915 175,000 +13,000 +8.02%
1914 162,000 +17,000 +11.72%
1913 145,000 +0 +0%
1912 145,000 −2,000 −1.36%
1911 147,000 +10,000 +7.3%
1910 137,000 +26,000 +23.42%
1909 111,000 +0 +0%
1908 111,000 −21,000 −15.91%
1907 132,000 +19,000 +16.81%
1906 113,000 +0 +0%
1905 113,000 +1,000 +0.89%
1904 112,000 +0 +0%
1903 112,000 +0 +0%
1902 112,000 −2,000 −1.75%
1901 114,000 +3,000 +2.7%
1900 111,000 −21,000 −15.91%
1899 132,000 −21,000 −13.73%
1898 153,000 −1,000 −0.65%
1897 154,000 +5,000 +3.36%
1896 149,000 −1,000 −0.67%
1895 150,000 +14,000 +10.29%
1894 136,000 +3,000 +2.26%
1893 133,000 +2,000 +1.53%
1892 131,000 −6,000 −4.38%
1891 137,000 −2,000 −1.44%
1890 139,000 −7,000 −4.79%
1889 146,000 −3,000 −2.01%
1888 149,000 −4,000 −2.61%
1887 153,000 +0 +0%
1886 153,000 −23,000 −13.07%
1885 176,000 +26,000 +17.33%
1884 150,000 −4,000 −2.6%
1883 154,000 −3,000 −1.91%
1882 157,000 −3,000 −1.88%
1881 160,000 +1,000 +0.63%
1880 159,000 +5,000 +3.25%
1879 154,000 +4,000 +2.67%
1878 150,000 +46,000 +44.23%
1877 104,000 +0 +0%
1876 104,000 −7,000 −6.31%
1875 111,000 +8,000 +7.77%
1874 103,000 +3,000 +3%
1873 100,000 +3,000 +3.09%
1872 97,000 +0 +0%
1871 97,000 −27,000 −21.77%
1870 124,000 +22,000 +21.57%
1869 102,000 +4,000 +4.08%
1868 98,000 −11,000 −10.09%
1867 109,000 +2,000 +1.87%
1866 107,000 −17,000 −13.71%
1865 124,000 +6,000 +5.08%
1864 118,000 +9,000 +8.26%
1863 109,000 −8,000 −6.84%
1862 117,000 −6,000 −4.88%
1861 123,000 −2,000 −1.6%
1860 125,000 +1,000 +0.81%
1859 124,000 +1,000 +0.81%
1858 123,000 +3,000 +2.5%
1857 120,000 +16,000 +15.38%
1856 104,000 +12,000 +13.04%
1855 92,000 −11,000 −10.68%
1854 103,000 −2,000 −1.9%
1853 105,000 −5,000 −4.55%
1852 110,000 −4,000 −3.51%
1851 114,000 −3,000 −2.56%
1850 117,000 −1,000 −0.85%
1849 118,000 −2,000 −1.67%
1848 120,000 −1,000 −0.83%
1847 121,000 +0 +0%
1846 121,000 +8,000 +7.08%
1845 113,000 +6,000 +5.61%
1844 107,000 +7,000 +7%
1843 100,000 +8,000 +8.7%
1842 92,000 +6,000 +6.98%
1841 86,000 +7,000 +8.86%
1840 79,000 +0 +0%
1839 79,000 −5,000 −5.95%
1838 84,000 −5,000 −5.62%
1837 89,000 −6,000 −6.32%
1836 95,000 −6,000 −5.94%
1835 101,000 −9,000 −8.18%
1834 110,000 +50,000 +83.33%
1833 60,000 −29,000 −32.58%
1832 89,000 −41,000 −31.54%
1831 130,000 +47,000 +56.63%
1830 83,000 −4,000 −4.6%
1829 87,000 −4,000 −4.4%
1828 91,000 −1,000 −1.09%
1827 92,000 +0 +0%
1826 92,000 −1,000 −1.08%
1825 93,000 +0 +0%
1824 93,000 −21,000 −18.42%
1823 114,000 −44,000 −27.85%
1822 158,000 −7,000 −4.24%
1821 165,000 +19,000 +13.01%
1820 146,000 +19,000 +14.96%
1819 127,000 +1,000 +0.79%
1818 126,000 +0 +0%
1817 126,000 +1,000 +0.8%
1816 125,000 — —

Southern Europe, 2022

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

IT Italy 161,000 GR Greece 132,000 ES Spain 124,000 RS Serbia 28,000 PT Portugal 27,000 HR Croatia 17,000 BA Bosnia and Herzegovina 11,000 AL Albania 8,000 MK North Macedonia 8,000 SI Slovenia 6,000 MT Malta 2,000 ME Montenegro 2,000 AD Andorra 0 MC Monaco 0 SM San Marino 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 Spain

Defense Armed forces personnel

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

Spain 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.

Spain by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Spain by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Spain by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Spain by year Defense Arms exports

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

Spain by year
All indicators for Spain