Armed forces personnel, total in Arab World
Arab World: Armed forces personnel, total was 3.07 million in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Arab World, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
Arab World recorded 3.07 million for armed forces personnel, total in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% on the previous year and down 14.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Arab World peaked at 3.60 million in 2010 and was at its lowest, 2.22 million, in 1994.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.80 million | 2.71 million | 2.88 million | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.84 million | 2.22 million | 3.34 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.23 million | 2.93 million | 3.58 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.05 million | 2.74 million | 3.60 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.07 million | 3.07 million | 3.07 million | 1 |
More public sector data for Arab World
- Arms imports 5.04 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure 5.2% (2024)
- Military expenditure 136.37 billion current USD (2024)
- Armed forces personnel 2.3% (2020)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 17.8% (2025)
- Military expenditure 16.9% (2024)
- Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disaste 3.31 million number of cases (2023)
- Arms exports 210.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- CPIA policy and institutions for environmental sustainability rating 2.57 1=low to 6=high (2025)
- CPIA transparency, accountability, and corruption in the public sector 1.93 1=low to 6=high (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Arab World?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Arab World was 3.07 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 3.60 million in 2010.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.22 million in 1994.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Arab World data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.