Armed forces personnel since 1816 in South America in 2022 — 1,083,000 people. Since 1860, the indicator has risen by 1,675.4%.
1860–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: South America
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 1.08M | +0 | +0% |
| 2021 | 1.08M | −46,000 | −4.07% |
| 2020 | 1.13M | +34,000 | +3.11% |
| 2019 | 1.1M | −3,000 | −0.27% |
| 2018 | 1.1M | +20,000 | +1.86% |
| 2017 | 1.08M | −4,000 | −0.37% |
| 2016 | 1.08M | −41,000 | −3.65% |
| 2015 | 1.12M | +17,000 | +1.54% |
| 2014 | 1.11M | +2,000 | +0.18% |
| 2013 | 1.1M | −2,000 | −0.18% |
| 2012 | 1.11M | +0 | +0% |
| 2011 | 1.11M | −13,000 | −1.16% |
| 2010 | 1.12M | +17,000 | +1.54% |
| 2009 | 1.1M | −32,000 | −2.82% |
| 2008 | 1.13M | +186,000 | +19.62% |
| 2007 | 948,000 | +26,000 | +2.82% |
| 2006 | 922,000 | −15,000 | −1.6% |
| 2005 | 937,000 | −11,000 | −1.16% |
| 2004 | 948,000 | −9,000 | −0.94% |
| 2003 | 957,000 | +31,000 | +3.35% |
| 2002 | 926,000 | +1,000 | +0.11% |
| 2001 | 925,000 | +18,000 | +1.98% |
| 2000 | 907,000 | −35,000 | −3.72% |
| 1999 | 942,000 | −7,000 | −0.74% |
| 1998 | 949,000 | +11,000 | +1.17% |
| 1997 | 938,000 | +3,000 | +0.32% |
| 1996 | 935,000 | +5,000 | +0.54% |
| 1995 | 930,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1994 | 930,000 | +17,000 | +1.86% |
| 1993 | 913,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1992 | 913,000 | +17,000 | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 896,000 | −21,000 | −2.29% |
| 1990 | 917,000 | +5,000 | +0.55% |
| 1989 | 912,000 | +15,000 | +1.67% |
| 1988 | 897,000 | −298,000 | −24.94% |
| 1987 | 1.2M | +34,000 | +2.93% |
| 1986 | 1.16M | +23,000 | +2.02% |
| 1985 | 1.14M | −10,000 | −0.87% |
| 1984 | 1.15M | −27,000 | −2.3% |
| 1983 | 1.18M | +18,000 | +1.56% |
| 1982 | 1.16M | +48,000 | +4.33% |
| 1981 | 1.11M | +12,000 | +1.09% |
| 1980 | 1.1M | +35,000 | +3.3% |
| 1979 | 1.06M | +0 | +0% |
| 1978 | 1.06M | +5,000 | +0.47% |
| 1977 | 1.06M | +31,000 | +3.02% |
| 1976 | 1.03M | +18,000 | +1.79% |
| 1975 | 1.01M | +61,000 | +6.44% |
| 1974 | 947,000 | +40,000 | +4.41% |
| 1973 | 907,000 | +36,000 | +4.13% |
| 1972 | 871,000 | +41,000 | +4.94% |
| 1971 | 830,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1970 | 830,000 | −2,000 | −0.24% |
| 1969 | 832,000 | +26,000 | +3.23% |
| 1968 | 806,000 | +14,000 | +1.77% |
| 1967 | 792,000 | +6,000 | +0.76% |
| 1966 | 786,000 | +8,000 | +1.03% |
| 1965 | 778,000 | +18,000 | +2.37% |
| 1964 | 760,000 | +14,000 | +1.88% |
| 1963 | 746,000 | +163,000 | +27.96% |
| 1962 | 583,000 | +8,000 | +1.39% |
| 1961 | 575,000 | +32,000 | +5.89% |
| 1960 | 543,000 | −8,000 | −1.45% |
| 1959 | 551,000 | +14,000 | +2.61% |
| 1958 | 537,000 | +126,000 | +30.66% |
| 1957 | 411,000 | +27,000 | +7.03% |
| 1956 | 384,000 | +11,000 | +2.95% |
| 1955 | 373,000 | −74,000 | −16.55% |
| 1954 | 447,000 | +6,000 | +1.36% |
| 1953 | 441,000 | +20,000 | +4.75% |
| 1952 | 421,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1951 | 421,000 | +4,000 | +0.96% |
| 1950 | 417,000 | +1,000 | +0.24% |
| 1949 | 416,000 | +103,000 | +32.91% |
| 1948 | 313,000 | −1,000 | −0.32% |
| 1947 | 314,000 | +11,000 | +3.63% |
| 1946 | 303,000 | — | — |
| 1939 | 240,000 | −12,000 | −4.76% |
| 1938 | 252,000 | +10,000 | +4.13% |
| 1937 | 242,000 | +13,000 | +5.68% |
| 1936 | 229,000 | −48,000 | −17.33% |
| 1935 | 277,000 | +28,000 | +11.24% |
| 1934 | 249,000 | +42,000 | +20.29% |
| 1933 | 207,000 | +25,000 | +13.74% |
| 1932 | 182,000 | +12,000 | +7.06% |
| 1931 | 170,000 | +1,000 | +0.59% |
| 1930 | 169,000 | −3,000 | −1.74% |
| 1929 | 172,000 | +7,000 | +4.24% |
| 1928 | 165,000 | −5,000 | −2.94% |
| 1927 | 170,000 | −2,000 | −1.16% |
| 1926 | 172,000 | +5,000 | +2.99% |
| 1925 | 167,000 | −11,000 | −6.18% |
| 1924 | 178,000 | +4,000 | +2.3% |
| 1923 | 174,000 | +6,000 | +3.57% |
| 1922 | 168,000 | −2,000 | −1.18% |
| 1921 | 170,000 | +1,000 | +0.59% |
| 1920 | 169,000 | −1,000 | −0.59% |
| 1919 | 170,000 | +8,000 | +4.94% |
| 1918 | 162,000 | +31,000 | +23.66% |
| 1917 | 131,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1916 | 131,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1915 | 131,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1914 | 131,000 | −11,000 | −7.75% |
| 1913 | 142,000 | +5,000 | +3.65% |
| 1912 | 137,000 | +12,000 | +9.6% |
| 1911 | 125,000 | +2,000 | +1.63% |
| 1910 | 123,000 | +5,000 | +4.24% |
| 1909 | 118,000 | +16,000 | +15.69% |
| 1908 | 102,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1907 | 102,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1906 | 102,000 | +15,000 | +17.24% |
| 1905 | 87,000 | −18,000 | −17.14% |
| 1904 | 105,000 | −4,000 | −3.67% |
| 1903 | 109,000 | +16,000 | +17.2% |
| 1902 | 93,000 | +4,000 | +4.49% |
| 1901 | 89,000 | +10,000 | +12.66% |
| 1900 | 79,000 | −3,000 | −3.66% |
| 1899 | 82,000 | −30,000 | −26.79% |
| 1898 | 112,000 | +26,000 | +30.23% |
| 1897 | 86,000 | −4,000 | −4.44% |
| 1896 | 90,000 | +4,000 | +4.65% |
| 1895 | 86,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1894 | 86,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1893 | 86,000 | +2,000 | +2.38% |
| 1892 | 84,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1891 | 84,000 | +24,000 | +40% |
| 1890 | 60,000 | −6,000 | −9.09% |
| 1889 | 66,000 | +1,000 | +1.54% |
| 1888 | 65,000 | +2,000 | +3.17% |
| 1887 | 63,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1886 | 63,000 | +1,000 | +1.61% |
| 1885 | 62,000 | −3,000 | −4.62% |
| 1884 | 65,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1883 | 65,000 | +9,000 | +16.07% |
| 1882 | 56,000 | — | — |
| 1880 | 60,000 | −8,000 | −11.76% |
| 1879 | 68,000 | +1,000 | +1.49% |
| 1878 | 67,000 | +6,000 | +9.84% |
| 1877 | 61,000 | +1,000 | +1.67% |
| 1876 | 60,000 | — | — |
| 1870 | 118,000 | −2,000 | −1.67% |
| 1869 | 120,000 | −20,000 | −14.29% |
| 1868 | 140,000 | −16,000 | −10.26% |
| 1867 | 156,000 | −32,000 | −17.02% |
| 1866 | 188,000 | +55,000 | +41.35% |
| 1865 | 133,000 | +36,000 | +37.11% |
| 1864 | 97,000 | +20,000 | +25.97% |
| 1863 | 77,000 | +8,000 | +11.59% |
| 1862 | 69,000 | −2,000 | −2.82% |
| 1861 | 71,000 | +10,000 | +16.39% |
| 1860 | 61,000 | — | — |
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.