Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Eastern Asia

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Eastern Asia in 2022 — 4,296,000 people. Since 1949, the indicator has risen by 2.1%.

2022 4.3M people +0% vs 2021
World rank
Period maximum 6.86M people1981
Period minimum 3.81M people1951

Trend over time

1949–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Eastern Asia, 1949–20223M4M5M6M7M19491957196519731981198919972005201320211949: 4,209,000 people1951: 3,808,000 people1953: 4,553,000 people1955: 4,842,000 people1957: 4,969,000 people1959: 5,130,000 people1961: 3,996,000 people1963: 4,294,000 people1965: 4,152,000 people1967: 4,483,000 people1969: 4,651,000 people1971: 4,861,000 people1973: 5,129,000 people1975: 6,177,000 people1977: 6,152,000 people1979: 6,673,000 people1981: 6,861,000 people1983: 6,229,000 people1985: 6,207,000 people1987: 5,672,000 people1989: 6,273,000 people1991: 5,801,000 people1993: 5,582,000 people1995: 5,463,000 people1997: 5,040,000 people1999: 4,695,000 people2001: 4,694,000 people2003: 4,557,000 people2005: 4,588,000 people2007: 4,587,000 people2009: 4,507,000 people2011: 4,678,000 people2013: 4,677,000 people2015: 4,725,000 people2017: 4,475,000 people2019: 4,360,000 people2021: 4,296,000 people2022: 4,296,000 people
Change over the period: +87,000 (+2.07%) Average annual rate: 0.03 %

Comparison, 2022

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

Eastern Asia 4.3M people
World computed 20.79M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Eastern Asia, by year Eastern Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 4.3M +0 +0%
2021 4.3M −38,000 −0.88%
2020 4.33M −26,000 −0.6%
2019 4.36M −52,000 −1.18%
2018 4.41M −63,000 −1.41%
2017 4.48M −148,000 −3.2%
2016 4.62M −102,000 −2.16%
2015 4.73M +0 +0%
2014 4.73M +48,000 +1.03%
2013 4.68M −1,000 −0.02%
2012 4.68M +0 +0%
2011 4.68M +70,000 +1.52%
2010 4.61M +101,000 +2.24%
2009 4.51M +70,000 +1.58%
2008 4.44M −150,000 −3.27%
2007 4.59M −21,000 −0.46%
2006 4.61M +20,000 +0.44%
2005 4.59M +15,000 +0.33%
2004 4.57M +16,000 +0.35%
2003 4.56M −100,000 −2.15%
2002 4.66M −37,000 −0.79%
2001 4.69M −470,000 −9.1%
2000 5.16M +469,000 +9.99%
1999 4.7M −220,000 −4.48%
1998 4.92M −125,000 −2.48%
1997 5.04M −50,000 −0.98%
1996 5.09M −373,000 −6.83%
1995 5.46M +7,000 +0.13%
1994 5.46M −126,000 −2.26%
1993 5.58M −151,000 −2.63%
1992 5.73M −68,000 −1.17%
1991 5.8M −201,000 −3.35%
1990 6M −271,000 −4.32%
1989 6.27M +342,000 +5.77%
1988 5.93M +259,000 +4.57%
1987 5.67M −509,000 −8.23%
1986 6.18M −26,000 −0.42%
1985 6.21M −42,000 −0.67%
1984 6.25M +20,000 +0.32%
1983 6.23M −240,000 −3.71%
1982 6.47M −392,000 −5.71%
1981 6.86M +168,000 +2.51%
1980 6.69M +20,000 +0.3%
1979 6.67M +195,000 +3.01%
1978 6.48M +326,000 +5.3%
1977 6.15M +6,000 +0.1%
1976 6.15M −31,000 −0.5%
1975 6.18M −4,000 −0.06%
1974 6.18M +1.05M +20.51%
1973 5.13M +182,000 +3.68%
1972 4.95M +86,000 +1.77%
1971 4.86M +137,000 +2.9%
1970 4.72M +73,000 +1.57%
1969 4.65M +58,000 +1.26%
1968 4.59M +110,000 +2.45%
1967 4.48M +157,000 +3.63%
1966 4.33M +174,000 +4.19%
1965 4.15M −434,000 −9.46%
1964 4.59M +292,000 +6.8%
1963 4.29M +211,000 +5.17%
1962 4.08M +87,000 +2.18%
1961 4M −1.18M −22.72%
1960 5.17M +41,000 +0.8%
1959 5.13M +45,000 +0.88%
1958 5.09M +116,000 +2.33%
1957 4.97M +107,000 +2.2%
1956 4.86M +20,000 +0.41%
1955 4.84M +74,000 +1.55%
1954 4.77M +215,000 +4.72%
1953 4.55M +349,000 +8.3%
1952 4.2M +396,000 +10.4%
1951 3.81M −732,000 −16.12%
1950 4.54M +331,000 +7.86%
1949 4.21M

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.