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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Sri Lanka

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Sri Lanka in 2022 — 255,000 people. Ranked 21 in the world out of 189.

2022 255,000 people +0% vs 2021
World rank 21of 189
Period maximum 255,000 people2019
Period minimum 0 people1948

Trend over time

1948–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Sri Lanka, 1948–20220100,000200,000300,00019481956196419721980198819962004201220201948: 0 people1950: 2,000 people1952: 2,000 people1954: 2,000 people1956: 1,000 people1958: 3,000 people1960: 6,000 people1962: 10,000 people1964: 9,000 people1966: 10,000 people1968: 10,000 people1970: 10,000 people1972: 16,000 people1974: 18,000 people1976: 18,000 people1978: 13,000 people1980: 18,000 people1982: 18,000 people1984: 17,000 people1986: 22,000 people1988: 22,000 people1990: 22,000 people1992: 110,000 people1994: 110,000 people1996: 110,000 people1998: 110,000 people2000: 115,000 people2002: 158,000 people2004: 132,000 people2006: 111,000 people2008: 151,000 people2010: 161,000 people2012: 161,000 people2014: 161,000 people2016: 161,000 people2018: 243,000 people2020: 255,000 people2022: 255,000 people
Change over the period: +255,000

Comparison, 2022

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

Sri Lanka 255,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
South Asia computed 2.73M people
Southern Asia computed 3.34M people
Lower-middle-income countries computed 6.55M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Sri Lanka, by year Sri Lanka All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 255,000 +0 +0%
2021 255,000 +0 +0%
2020 255,000 +0 +0%
2019 255,000 +12,000 +4.94%
2018 243,000 +40,000 +19.7%
2017 203,000 +42,000 +26.09%
2016 161,000 +0 +0%
2015 161,000 +0 +0%
2014 161,000 +0 +0%
2013 161,000 +0 +0%
2012 161,000 +0 +0%
2011 161,000 +0 +0%
2010 161,000 +10,000 +6.62%
2009 151,000 +0 +0%
2008 151,000 +0 +0%
2007 151,000 +40,000 +36.04%
2006 111,000 +0 +0%
2005 111,000 −21,000 −15.91%
2004 132,000 −20,000 −13.16%
2003 152,000 −6,000 −3.8%
2002 158,000 +37,000 +30.58%
2001 121,000 +6,000 +5.22%
2000 115,000 +15,000 +15%
1999 100,000 −10,000 −9.09%
1998 110,000 +0 +0%
1997 110,000 +0 +0%
1996 110,000 +0 +0%
1995 110,000 +0 +0%
1994 110,000 +0 +0%
1993 110,000 +0 +0%
1992 110,000 +0 +0%
1991 110,000 +88,000 +400%
1990 22,000 +0 +0%
1989 22,000 +0 +0%
1988 22,000 +0 +0%
1987 22,000 +0 +0%
1986 22,000 +0 +0%
1985 22,000 +5,000 +29.41%
1984 17,000 +1,000 +6.25%
1983 16,000 −2,000 −11.11%
1982 18,000 +0 +0%
1981 18,000 +0 +0%
1980 18,000 +0 +0%
1979 18,000 +5,000 +38.46%
1978 13,000 −5,000 −27.78%
1977 18,000 +0 +0%
1976 18,000 +0 +0%
1975 18,000 +0 +0%
1974 18,000 +0 +0%
1973 18,000 +2,000 +12.5%
1972 16,000 +6,000 +60%
1971 10,000 +0 +0%
1970 10,000 +0 +0%
1969 10,000 +0 +0%
1968 10,000 +0 +0%
1967 10,000 +0 +0%
1966 10,000 +1,000 +11.11%
1965 9,000 +0 +0%
1964 9,000 −2,000 −18.18%
1963 11,000 +1,000 +10%
1962 10,000 +0 +0%
1961 10,000 +4,000 +66.67%
1960 6,000 +2,000 +50%
1959 4,000 +1,000 +33.33%
1958 3,000 +1,000 +50%
1957 2,000 +1,000 +100%
1956 1,000 +0 +0%
1955 1,000 −1,000 −50%
1954 2,000 +0 +0%
1953 2,000 +0 +0%
1952 2,000 +0 +0%
1951 2,000 +0 +0%
1950 2,000 +1,000 +100%
1949 1,000 +1,000 —
1948 0 — —

Southern Asia, 2022

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

IN India 1.46M PK Pakistan 652,000 IR Iran 610,000 LK Sri Lanka 255,000 BD Bangladesh 163,000 AF Afghanistan 100,000 NP Nepal 97,000 MV Maldives 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 Sri Lanka

Defense Armed forces personnel

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

Sri Lanka 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.

Sri Lanka by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Sri Lanka by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Sri Lanka by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Sri Lanka by year Defense Arms exports

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

Sri Lanka by year
All indicators for Sri Lanka