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Armed forces personnel since 1816 — all countries

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Syria

Armed forces personnel since 1816 in Syria in 2022 — 169,000 people. Ranked 29 in the world out of 189. Since 1946, the indicator has risen by 1,590%.

2022 169,000 people +0% vs 2021
World rank 29of 189
Period maximum 408,000 people1990
Period minimum 8,000 people1948

Trend over time

1946–2022 · people

Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Syria, 1946–20220200,000400,000600,000194619541962197019781986199420022010201820221946: 10,000 people1948: 8,000 people1950: 32,000 people1952: 35,000 people1954: 25,000 people1956: 25,000 people1958: 62,000 people1962: 54,000 people1964: 80,000 people1966: 80,000 people1968: 65,000 people1970: 75,000 people1972: 115,000 people1974: 130,000 people1976: 240,000 people1978: 220,000 people1980: 250,000 people1982: 300,000 people1984: 402,000 people1986: 400,000 people1988: 400,000 people1990: 408,000 people1992: 408,000 people1994: 320,000 people1996: 320,000 people1998: 315,000 people2000: 316,000 people2002: 319,000 people2004: 313,000 people2006: 308,000 people2008: 293,000 people2010: 325,000 people2012: 295,000 people2014: 178,000 people2016: 131,000 people2018: 158,000 people2020: 169,000 people2022: 169,000 people
Change over the period: +159,000 (+1,590%) Average annual rate: 3.79 %

Comparison, 2022

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

Syria 169,000 people
World computed 20.79M people
Middle East & North Africa computed 2.58M people
Western Asia computed 1.65M people
Low-income countries computed 2.98M people
Armed forces personnel since 1816 — Syria, by year Syria All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2022 169,000 +0 +0%
2021 169,000 +0 +0%
2020 169,000 +30,000 +21.58%
2019 139,000 −19,000 −12.03%
2018 158,000 +30,000 +23.44%
2017 128,000 −3,000 −2.29%
2016 131,000 −47,000 −26.4%
2015 178,000 +0 +0%
2014 178,000 +0 +0%
2013 178,000 −117,000 −39.66%
2012 295,000 +0 +0%
2011 295,000 −30,000 −9.23%
2010 325,000 +32,000 +10.92%
2009 293,000 +0 +0%
2008 293,000 −15,000 −4.87%
2007 308,000 +0 +0%
2006 308,000 +0 +0%
2005 308,000 −5,000 −1.6%
2004 313,000 −6,000 −1.88%
2003 319,000 +0 +0%
2002 319,000 −2,000 −0.62%
2001 321,000 +5,000 +1.58%
2000 316,000 +6,000 +1.94%
1999 310,000 −5,000 −1.59%
1998 315,000 −5,000 −1.56%
1997 320,000 +0 +0%
1996 320,000 +0 +0%
1995 320,000 +0 +0%
1994 320,000 −88,000 −21.57%
1993 408,000 +0 +0%
1992 408,000 +0 +0%
1991 408,000 +0 +0%
1990 408,000 +8,000 +2%
1989 400,000 +0 +0%
1988 400,000 +0 +0%
1987 400,000 +0 +0%
1986 400,000 −2,000 −0.5%
1985 402,000 +0 +0%
1984 402,000 +2,000 +0.5%
1983 400,000 +100,000 +33.33%
1982 300,000 +30,000 +11.11%
1981 270,000 +20,000 +8%
1980 250,000 +30,000 +13.64%
1979 220,000 +0 +0%
1978 220,000 −30,000 −12%
1977 250,000 +10,000 +4.17%
1976 240,000 +10,000 +4.35%
1975 230,000 +100,000 +76.92%
1974 130,000 +15,000 +13.04%
1973 115,000 +0 +0%
1972 115,000 +5,000 +4.55%
1971 110,000 +35,000 +46.67%
1970 75,000 +0 +0%
1969 75,000 +10,000 +15.38%
1968 65,000 −15,000 −18.75%
1967 80,000 +0 +0%
1966 80,000 +10,000 +14.29%
1965 70,000 −10,000 −12.5%
1964 80,000 +5,000 +6.67%
1963 75,000 +21,000 +38.89%
1962 54,000 +2,000 +3.85%
1961 52,000 — —
1958 62,000 +2,000 +3.33%
1957 60,000 +35,000 +140%
1956 25,000 +0 +0%
1955 25,000 +0 +0%
1954 25,000 −10,000 −28.57%
1953 35,000 +0 +0%
1952 35,000 +3,000 +9.38%
1951 32,000 +0 +0%
1950 32,000 +12,000 +60%
1949 20,000 +12,000 +150%
1948 8,000 −2,000 −20%
1947 10,000 +0 +0%
1946 10,000 — —

Western Asia, 2022

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

TR Türkiye 355,000 SA Saudi Arabia 257,000 IQ Iraq 193,000 IL Israel 170,000 SY Syria 169,000 JO Jordan 101,000 AE United Arab Emirates 83,000 AZ Azerbaijan 64,000 LB Lebanon 60,000 AM Armenia 43,000 OM Oman 43,000 YE Yemen 40,000 GE Georgia 21,000 KW Kuwait 18,000 QA Qatar 17,000 CY Cyprus 12,000 BH Bahrain 8,000
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 Syria

Defense Armed forces personnel

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

Syria 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.

Syria by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Syria by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Syria by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Syria by year Defense Arms exports

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

Syria by year
All indicators for Syria