Armed forces personnel since 1816 in upper-middle-income countries in 2022 — 5,227,000 people. Since 1975, the indicator has fallen by 28.5%.
1975–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Upper-middle-income countries
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 5.23M | −2,000 | −0.04% |
| 2021 | 5.23M | −49,000 | −0.93% |
| 2020 | 5.28M | +140,000 | +2.72% |
| 2019 | 5.14M | +4,000 | +0.08% |
| 2018 | 5.13M | −150,000 | −2.84% |
| 2017 | 5.28M | −309,000 | −5.52% |
| 2016 | 5.59M | −123,000 | −2.15% |
| 2015 | 5.72M | −77,000 | −1.33% |
| 2014 | 5.79M | +72,000 | +1.26% |
| 2013 | 5.72M | +102,000 | +1.82% |
| 2012 | 5.62M | −68,000 | −1.2% |
| 2011 | 5.69M | −359,000 | −5.94% |
| 2010 | 6.05M | +140,000 | +2.37% |
| 2009 | 5.91M | +135,000 | +2.34% |
| 2008 | 5.77M | +283,000 | +5.16% |
| 2007 | 5.49M | +11,000 | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 5.48M | +19,000 | +0.35% |
| 2005 | 5.46M | −114,000 | −2.05% |
| 2004 | 5.57M | −112,000 | −1.97% |
| 2003 | 5.68M | +1,000 | +0.02% |
| 2002 | 5.68M | −108,000 | −1.86% |
| 2001 | 5.79M | −648,000 | −10.06% |
| 2000 | 6.44M | +224,000 | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 6.22M | −86,000 | −1.36% |
| 1998 | 6.3M | −84,000 | −1.32% |
| 1997 | 6.39M | −165,000 | −2.52% |
| 1996 | 6.55M | −296,000 | −4.32% |
| 1995 | 6.85M | +30,000 | +0.44% |
| 1994 | 6.82M | +51,000 | +0.75% |
| 1993 | 6.77M | −258,000 | −3.67% |
| 1992 | 7.02M | −4,000 | −0.06% |
| 1991 | 7.03M | −1.25M | −15.1% |
| 1990 | 8.28M | −43,000 | −0.52% |
| 1989 | 8.32M | +86,000 | +1.04% |
| 1988 | 8.23M | −27,000 | −0.33% |
| 1987 | 8.26M | −339,000 | −3.94% |
| 1986 | 8.6M | +23,000 | +0.27% |
| 1985 | 8.58M | −25,000 | −0.29% |
| 1984 | 8.6M | +479,000 | +5.9% |
| 1983 | 8.12M | −129,000 | −1.56% |
| 1982 | 8.25M | −261,000 | −3.07% |
| 1981 | 8.51M | +158,000 | +1.89% |
| 1980 | 8.36M | +98,000 | +1.19% |
| 1979 | 8.26M | +171,000 | +2.11% |
| 1978 | 8.09M | +453,000 | +5.93% |
| 1977 | 7.63M | +153,000 | +2.05% |
| 1976 | 7.48M | +169,000 | +2.31% |
| 1975 | 7.31M | — | — |
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.