Brazil vs United States of America: Armed forces personnel, total

Brazil
762,000
in 2020
United States of America
1.40 million
in 2020
Brazil rank
8th
United States of America rank
5th

Armed forces personnel, total over time

  • Brazil
  • United States of America
500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M198520022020

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 1.40 million against 762,000 in Brazil, a difference of 633,000.

That makes United States of America's figure about 1.8 times Brazil's.

Across all 33 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.

Brazil ranks 8th and United States of America ranks 5th of 173 countries.

United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Brazil United States of America Difference Ahead
1980s 297,500 2.20 million 1.90 million United States of America
1990s 491,495 1.77 million 1.28 million United States of America
2000s 696,228 1.50 million 803,622 United States of America
2010s 729,592 1.42 million 692,270 United States of America
2020s 762,000 1.40 million 633,000 United States of America

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Brazil or United States of America?
United States of America, at 1.40 million against 762,000 in Brazil as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Brazil and United States of America?
633,000, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and United States of America?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Brazil and United States of America rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
Brazil ranks 8th and United States of America ranks 5th 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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Brazil vs United States of America: Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total/brazil/united-states/

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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.