Armed forces personnel since 1816 in the world in 2022 — 20,789,000 people. Since 1975, the indicator has fallen by 16.7%.
1975–2022 · people
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: World
| Year | people | Change | Change, % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 20.79M | +1.18M | +5.99% |
| 2021 | 19.61M | −223,000 | −1.12% |
| 2020 | 19.84M | +256,000 | +1.31% |
| 2019 | 19.58M | +66,000 | +0.34% |
| 2018 | 19.52M | −8,000 | −0.04% |
| 2017 | 19.52M | −177,000 | −0.9% |
| 2016 | 19.7M | −271,000 | −1.36% |
| 2015 | 19.97M | −267,000 | −1.32% |
| 2014 | 20.24M | +36,000 | +0.18% |
| 2013 | 20.2M | −92,000 | −0.45% |
| 2012 | 20.29M | +42,000 | +0.21% |
| 2011 | 20.25M | −487,000 | −2.35% |
| 2010 | 20.74M | +262,000 | +1.28% |
| 2009 | 20.48M | +376,000 | +1.87% |
| 2008 | 20.1M | +307,000 | +1.55% |
| 2007 | 19.79M | −178,000 | −0.89% |
| 2006 | 19.97M | −139,000 | −0.69% |
| 2005 | 20.11M | −129,000 | −0.64% |
| 2004 | 20.24M | −135,000 | −0.66% |
| 2003 | 20.38M | −94,000 | −0.46% |
| 2002 | 20.47M | +55,000 | +0.27% |
| 2001 | 20.41M | −1.28M | −5.9% |
| 2000 | 21.69M | +56,000 | +0.26% |
| 1999 | 21.64M | +89,000 | +0.41% |
| 1998 | 21.55M | −668,000 | −3.01% |
| 1997 | 22.22M | −226,000 | −1.01% |
| 1996 | 22.44M | −614,000 | −2.66% |
| 1995 | 23.06M | −289,000 | −1.24% |
| 1994 | 23.35M | −572,000 | −2.39% |
| 1993 | 23.92M | −699,000 | −2.84% |
| 1992 | 24.62M | −1.16M | −4.48% |
| 1991 | 25.77M | −1.62M | −5.9% |
| 1990 | 27.39M | −126,000 | −0.46% |
| 1989 | 27.51M | −101,000 | −0.37% |
| 1988 | 27.62M | +345,000 | +1.27% |
| 1987 | 27.27M | −184,000 | −0.67% |
| 1986 | 27.45M | +404,000 | +1.49% |
| 1985 | 27.05M | −4,000 | −0.01% |
| 1984 | 27.05M | +910,000 | +3.48% |
| 1983 | 26.14M | −120,000 | −0.46% |
| 1982 | 26.26M | −87,000 | −0.33% |
| 1981 | 26.35M | +596,000 | +2.31% |
| 1980 | 25.76M | +50,000 | +0.19% |
| 1979 | 25.71M | +197,000 | +0.77% |
| 1978 | 25.51M | +643,000 | +2.59% |
| 1977 | 24.87M | −308,000 | −1.22% |
| 1976 | 25.17M | +224,000 | +0.9% |
| 1975 | 24.95M | — | — |
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).