Armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia

Malaysia: Armed forces personnel, total was 136,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
136,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
45th
of 173 countries
All-time high
140,300
in 1995
All-time low
110,000
in 1985
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia, 1985–2020

050.0k100.0k150.0k1985200220201985: 110.0k1989: 115.0k1990: 130.0k1991: 128.0k1992: 128.0k1993: 115.0k1994: 115.0k1995: 140.3k1996: 140.3k1997: 131.6k1998: 130.1k1999: 125.1k2000: 116.1k2001: 120.6k2002: 120.1k2003: 124.1k2004: 130.0k2005: 135.0k2006: 134.0k2007: 134.0k2008: 134.0k2009: 133.6k2010: 133.6k2011: 133.6k2012: 133.6k2013: 133.6k2014: 133.6k2015: 133.6k2016: 133.6k2017: 136.0k2018: 136.0k2019: 136.0k2020: 136.0k

Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Analysis

The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia is 136,000, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia peaked at 140,300 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 110,000, in 1985.

That places Malaysia 45th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 112,500 110,000 115,000 2
1990s 128,340 115,000 140,300 10
2000s 128,150 116,100 135,000 10
2010s 134,320 133,600 136,000 10
2020s 136,000 136,000 136,000 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 42 Greece 147,000 compare
  2. 43 Sudan 144,000 compare
  3. 44 Ethiopia 138,000 compare
  4. 46 Democratic Republic of Congo 134,000 compare
  5. 47 Laos 129,000 compare
  6. 48 Romania 128,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia?
Armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia was 136,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 140,300 in 1995.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 110,000 in 1985.
How does Malaysia rank for armed forces personnel, total?
Malaysia ranks 45th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total
Source
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.