Afghanistan vs Israel: Armed forces personnel, total

Afghanistan
165,000
in 2020
Israel
178,000
in 2020
Afghanistan rank
37th
Israel rank
36th

Armed forces personnel, total over time

  • Afghanistan
  • Israel
0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k198520022020

How they compare

Israel currently reports 178,000 against 165,000 in Afghanistan, a difference of 13,000.

That makes Israel's figure about 1.1 times Afghanistan's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Israel ahead.

Afghanistan ranks 37th and Israel ranks 36th of 173 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Afghanistan averaged higher in 2 and Israel in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Afghanistan Israel Difference Ahead
1980s 51,000 166,500 115,500 Israel
1990s 227,900 182,785 45,115 Afghanistan
2000s 128,416 179,617 51,201 Israel
2010s 314,105 182,510 131,595 Afghanistan
2020s 165,000 178,000 13,000 Israel

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Afghanistan or Israel?
Israel, at 178,000 against 165,000 in Afghanistan as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Afghanistan and Israel?
13,000, with Israel ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Afghanistan and Israel?
32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Afghanistan and Israel rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
Afghanistan ranks 37th and Israel ranks 36th of 173 countries.
Where does this data come from?
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Afghanistan vs Israel: Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total/afghanistan/israel/

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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.