Armed forces personnel, total in World
World: Armed forces personnel, total was 27.41 million in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in World, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in World is 27.41 million, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in World peaked at 30.20 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 22.21 million, in 1985.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 23.25 million | 22.21 million | 24.30 million | 2 |
| 1990s | 26.79 million | 22.73 million | 30.20 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.94 million | 27.03 million | 29.35 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 27.65 million | 27.21 million | 28.15 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 27.41 million | 27.41 million | 27.41 million | 1 |
More public sector data for World
- Arms imports 28.82 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Tax revenue 13.8% (2024)
- Taxes on income, profits and capital gains 26.4% (2024)
- Taxes on goods and services 31.0% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets 1.6% (2023)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) -4.4% (2023)
- Interest payments 6.9% (2023)
- Grants and other revenue 16.5% (2023)
- Interest payments 5.8% (2022)
- Other taxes 0.8% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in World?
- Armed forces personnel, total in World was 27.41 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 30.20 million in 1996.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.21 million in 1985.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this 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.