Armed forces personnel, total in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Armed forces personnel, total was 153,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in United Kingdom, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in United Kingdom stood at 153,000.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and down 12.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in United Kingdom peaked at 334,000 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 148,000, in 2017.
That places United Kingdom 41st out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 326,000 | 318,000 | 334,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 253,800 | 218,000 | 308,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 194,837 | 160,000 | 217,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 157,072 | 148,000 | 174,020 | 10 |
| 2020s | 153,000 | 153,000 | 153,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More public sector data for United Kingdom
- Arms imports 643.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Tax revenue 26.9% (2024)
- Taxes on income, profits and capital gains 40.6% (2024)
- Taxes on goods and services 31.1% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets 2.4% (2024)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) -6.9% (2024)
- Interest payments 8.3% (2024)
- Grants and other revenue 5.6% (2024)
- Interest payments 7.8% (2023)
- Other taxes 4.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in United Kingdom?
- Armed forces personnel, total in United Kingdom was 153,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 334,000 in 1985.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 148,000 in 2017.
- How does United Kingdom rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- United Kingdom ranks 41st out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.