Armed forces personnel, total in Switzerland

Switzerland: Armed forces personnel, total was 20,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
20,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
106th
of 173 countries
All-time high
109,000
in 2005
All-time low
4,000
in 2004
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in Switzerland, 1985–2020

025.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k1985200220201985: 20.0k1989: 17.0k1990: 22.0k1991: 22.0k1992: 31.0k1993: 35.0k1994: 39.0k1995: 31.4k1996: 27.3k1997: 26.3k1998: 26.3k1999: 27.7k2000: 27.7k2001: 26.8k2002: 27.6k2003: 27.5k2004: 4.0k2005: 109.0k2006: 23.0k2007: 23.0k2008: 23.0k2009: 25.6k2010: 25.3k2011: 23.1k2012: 22.6k2013: 21.2k2014: 20.8k2015: 20.9k2016: 20.9k2017: 21.0k2018: 21.4k2019: 20.0k2020: 20.0k

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

Analysis

Switzerland recorded 20,000 for armed forces personnel, total in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 20.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Switzerland peaked at 109,000 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 4,000, in 2004.

That places Switzerland 106th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 18,500 17,000 20,000 2
1990s 28,796 22,000 39,000 10
2000s 31,722 4,000 109,000 10
2010s 21,744 20,000 25,287 10
2020s 20,000 20,000 20,000 1

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 104 Kyrgyzstan 21,000 compare
  2. 104 Mauritania 21,000 compare
  3. 106 Croatia 20,000 compare
  4. 108 Bahrain 19,000 compare
  5. 108 Senegal 19,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in Switzerland?
Armed forces personnel, total in Switzerland was 20,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 109,000 in 2005.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 4,000 in 2004.
How does Switzerland rank for armed forces personnel, total?
Switzerland ranks 106th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is down 20.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Switzerland 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

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.