Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Western Europe in 2022 — 486,000 people. Since 1830, the indicator has risen by 1%.
1830–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Western Europe
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 486,000 | −1,000 | −0.21% |
| 2021 | 487,000 | −4,000 | −0.81% |
| 2020 | 491,000 | +2,000 | +0.41% |
| 2019 | 489,000 | −1,000 | −0.2% |
| 2018 | 490,000 | +2,000 | +0.41% |
| 2017 | 488,000 | −12,000 | −2.4% |
| 2016 | 500,000 | −10,000 | −1.96% |
| 2015 | 510,000 | −13,000 | −2.49% |
| 2014 | 523,000 | −19,000 | −3.51% |
| 2013 | 542,000 | −71,000 | −11.58% |
| 2012 | 613,000 | −5,000 | −0.81% |
| 2011 | 618,000 | −121,000 | −16.37% |
| 2010 | 739,000 | +3,000 | +0.41% |
| 2009 | 736,000 | +85,000 | +13.06% |
| 2008 | 651,000 | +12,000 | +1.88% |
| 2007 | 639,000 | −36,000 | −5.33% |
| 2006 | 675,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 2005 | 675,000 | −12,000 | −1.75% |
| 2004 | 687,000 | −14,000 | −2% |
| 2003 | 701,000 | −8,000 | −1.13% |
| 2002 | 709,000 | −25,000 | −3.41% |
| 2001 | 734,000 | +59,000 | +8.74% |
| 2000 | 675,000 | −262,000 | −27.96% |
| 1999 | 937,000 | −43,000 | −4.39% |
| 1998 | 980,000 | −21,000 | −2.1% |
| 1997 | 1M | −33,000 | −3.19% |
| 1996 | 1.03M | −21,000 | −1.99% |
| 1995 | 1.06M | −28,000 | −2.59% |
| 1994 | 1.08M | −65,000 | −5.66% |
| 1993 | 1.15M | −89,000 | −7.19% |
| 1992 | 1.24M | −46,000 | −3.59% |
| 1991 | 1.28M | −92,000 | −6.69% |
| 1990 | 1.38M | +535,000 | +63.69% |
| 1989 | 840,000 | −14,000 | −1.64% |
| 1988 | 854,000 | −11,000 | −1.27% |
| 1987 | 865,000 | +33,000 | +3.97% |
| 1986 | 832,000 | −5,000 | −0.6% |
| 1985 | 837,000 | −10,000 | −1.18% |
| 1984 | 847,000 | −23,000 | −2.64% |
| 1983 | 870,000 | +13,000 | +1.52% |
| 1982 | 857,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1981 | 857,000 | +3,000 | +0.35% |
| 1980 | 854,000 | −2,000 | −0.23% |
| 1979 | 856,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1978 | 856,000 | +5,000 | +0.59% |
| 1977 | 851,000 | −9,000 | −1.05% |
| 1976 | 860,000 | −11,000 | −1.26% |
| 1975 | 871,000 | −15,000 | −1.69% |
| 1974 | 886,000 | +1,000 | +0.11% |
| 1973 | 885,000 | +19,000 | +2.19% |
| 1972 | 866,000 | −5,000 | −0.57% |
| 1971 | 871,000 | −5,000 | −0.57% |
| 1970 | 876,000 | −10,000 | −1.13% |
| 1969 | 886,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1968 | 886,000 | −31,000 | −3.38% |
| 1967 | 917,000 | +20,000 | +2.23% |
| 1966 | 897,000 | −5,000 | −0.55% |
| 1965 | 902,000 | −105,000 | −10.43% |
| 1964 | 1.01M | −70,000 | −6.5% |
| 1963 | 1.08M | +48,000 | +4.66% |
| 1962 | 1.03M | −15,000 | −1.44% |
| 1961 | 1.04M | −280,000 | −21.15% |
| 1960 | 1.32M | +32,000 | +2.48% |
| 1959 | 1.29M | +29,000 | +2.3% |
| 1958 | 1.26M | +50,000 | +4.12% |
| 1957 | 1.21M | +56,000 | +4.84% |
| 1956 | 1.16M | +55,000 | +4.99% |
| 1955 | 1.1M | +67,000 | +6.47% |
| 1954 | 1.04M | +44,000 | +4.44% |
| 1953 | 991,000 | +41,000 | +4.32% |
| 1952 | 950,000 | +32,000 | +3.49% |
| 1951 | 918,000 | +20,000 | +2.23% |
| 1950 | 898,000 | +4,000 | +0.45% |
| 1949 | 894,000 | +10,000 | +1.13% |
| 1948 | 884,000 | −6,000 | −0.67% |
| 1947 | 890,000 | +131,000 | +17.26% |
| 1946 | 759,000 | −5.81M | −88.45% |
| 1945 | 6.57M | — | — |
| 1940 | 9.1M | +5.63M | +162.66% |
| 1939 | 3.46M | +1.94M | +126.78% |
| 1938 | 1.53M | +181,000 | +13.45% |
| 1937 | 1.35M | +54,000 | +4.18% |
| 1936 | 1.29M | +174,000 | +15.56% |
| 1935 | 1.12M | +240,000 | +27.33% |
| 1934 | 878,000 | +208,000 | +31.04% |
| 1933 | 670,000 | +30,000 | +4.69% |
| 1932 | 640,000 | −18,000 | −2.74% |
| 1931 | 658,000 | +29,000 | +4.61% |
| 1930 | 629,000 | +2,000 | +0.32% |
| 1929 | 627,000 | −55,000 | −8.06% |
| 1928 | 682,000 | −26,000 | −3.67% |
| 1927 | 708,000 | +2,000 | +0.28% |
| 1926 | 706,000 | −11,000 | −1.53% |
| 1925 | 717,000 | −3,000 | −0.42% |
| 1924 | 720,000 | −82,000 | −10.22% |
| 1923 | 802,000 | −18,000 | −2.2% |
| 1922 | 820,000 | +16,000 | +1.99% |
| 1921 | 804,000 | −966,000 | −54.58% |
| 1920 | 1.77M | −963,000 | −35.24% |
| 1919 | 2.73M | −11.02M | −80.13% |
| 1918 | 13.76M | +2.77M | +25.18% |
| 1917 | 10.99M | +681,000 | +6.61% |
| 1916 | 10.31M | +1.05M | +11.32% |
| 1915 | 9.26M | +7.45M | +412.4% |
| 1914 | 1.81M | +223,000 | +14.08% |
| 1913 | 1.58M | +133,000 | +9.17% |
| 1912 | 1.45M | +44,000 | +3.13% |
| 1911 | 1.41M | +6,000 | +0.43% |
| 1910 | 1.4M | +20,000 | +1.45% |
| 1909 | 1.38M | +26,000 | +1.92% |
| 1908 | 1.36M | +6,000 | +0.44% |
| 1907 | 1.35M | −11,000 | −0.81% |
| 1906 | 1.36M | +8,000 | +0.59% |
| 1905 | 1.35M | +39,000 | +2.97% |
| 1904 | 1.31M | −14,000 | −1.06% |
| 1903 | 1.33M | −5,000 | −0.38% |
| 1902 | 1.33M | +20,000 | +1.52% |
| 1901 | 1.31M | −15,000 | −1.13% |
| 1900 | 1.33M | −24,000 | −1.78% |
| 1899 | 1.35M | +15,000 | +1.12% |
| 1898 | 1.34M | +31,000 | +2.38% |
| 1897 | 1.31M | +13,000 | +1.01% |
| 1896 | 1.29M | +28,000 | +2.22% |
| 1895 | 1.26M | −3,000 | −0.24% |
| 1894 | 1.27M | −20,000 | −1.55% |
| 1893 | 1.29M | +74,000 | +6.1% |
| 1892 | 1.21M | +1,000 | +0.08% |
| 1891 | 1.21M | +24,000 | +2.02% |
| 1890 | 1.19M | +9,000 | +0.76% |
| 1889 | 1.18M | +20,000 | +1.73% |
| 1888 | 1.16M | +55,000 | +4.98% |
| 1887 | 1.1M | +19,000 | +1.75% |
| 1886 | 1.09M | +15,000 | +1.4% |
| 1885 | 1.07M | −6,000 | −0.56% |
| 1884 | 1.08M | +13,000 | +1.22% |
| 1883 | 1.06M | −70,000 | −6.18% |
| 1882 | 1.13M | +10,000 | +0.89% |
| 1881 | 1.12M | +62,000 | +5.84% |
| 1880 | 1.06M | +20,000 | +1.92% |
| 1879 | 1.04M | −17,000 | −1.61% |
| 1878 | 1.06M | +21,000 | +2.03% |
| 1877 | 1.04M | +20,000 | +1.97% |
| 1876 | 1.02M | +20,000 | +2.01% |
| 1875 | 997,000 | +14,000 | +1.42% |
| 1874 | 983,000 | −56,000 | −5.39% |
| 1873 | 1.04M | +50,000 | +5.06% |
| 1872 | 989,000 | −1.09M | −52.43% |
| 1871 | 2.08M | +1.23M | +144.59% |
| 1870 | 850,000 | −21,000 | −2.41% |
| 1869 | 871,000 | −8,000 | −0.91% |
| 1868 | 879,000 | +121,000 | +15.96% |
| 1867 | 758,000 | +8,000 | +1.07% |
| 1866 | 750,000 | −24,000 | −3.1% |
| 1865 | 774,000 | −4,000 | −0.51% |
| 1864 | 778,000 | −10,000 | −1.27% |
| 1863 | 788,000 | −24,000 | −2.96% |
| 1862 | 812,000 | +2,000 | +0.25% |
| 1861 | 810,000 | −78,000 | −8.78% |
| 1860 | 888,000 | +192,000 | +27.59% |
| 1859 | 696,000 | +38,000 | +5.78% |
| 1858 | 658,000 | −120,000 | −15.42% |
| 1857 | 778,000 | −87,000 | −10.06% |
| 1856 | 865,000 | +0 | +0% |
| 1855 | 865,000 | +214,000 | +32.87% |
| 1854 | 651,000 | +19,000 | +3.01% |
| 1853 | 632,000 | +31,000 | +5.16% |
| 1852 | 601,000 | −1,000 | −0.17% |
| 1851 | 602,000 | −33,000 | −5.2% |
| 1850 | 635,000 | −26,000 | −3.93% |
| 1849 | 661,000 | +74,000 | +12.61% |
| 1848 | 587,000 | −6,000 | −1.01% |
| 1847 | 593,000 | +6,000 | +1.02% |
| 1846 | 587,000 | +31,000 | +5.58% |
| 1845 | 556,000 | −2,000 | −0.36% |
| 1844 | 558,000 | −34,000 | −5.74% |
| 1843 | 592,000 | −43,000 | −6.77% |
| 1842 | 635,000 | −48,000 | −7.03% |
| 1841 | 683,000 | +35,000 | +5.4% |
| 1840 | 648,000 | +132,000 | +25.58% |
| 1839 | 516,000 | −33,000 | −6.01% |
| 1838 | 549,000 | +19,000 | +3.58% |
| 1837 | 530,000 | +40,000 | +8.16% |
| 1836 | 490,000 | +5,000 | +1.03% |
| 1835 | 485,000 | +22,000 | +4.75% |
| 1834 | 463,000 | −46,000 | −9.04% |
| 1833 | 509,000 | −18,000 | −3.42% |
| 1832 | 527,000 | −111,000 | −17.4% |
| 1831 | 638,000 | +157,000 | +32.64% |
| 1830 | 481,000 | — | — |
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.
Defense Arms exportsTransfers of major conventional weapons abroad, in SIPRI trend-indicator values (TIV).