France vs Italy: Armed forces personnel, total
France
304,000
in 2020
Italy
338,000
in 2020
France rank
23rd
Italy rank
20th
Armed forces personnel, total over time
- France
- Italy
How they compare
Italy currently reports 338,000 against 304,000 in France, a difference of 34,000.
That makes Italy's figure about 1.1 times France's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was France ahead.
France ranks 23rd and Italy ranks 20th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, France averaged higher in 1 and Italy in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Italy | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 509,150 | 445,550 | 63,600 | France |
| 1990s | 495,660 | 514,510 | 18,850 | Italy |
| 2000s | 360,497 | 444,004 | 83,507 | Italy |
| 2010s | 315,882 | 354,698 | 38,816 | Italy |
| 2020s | 304,000 | 338,000 | 34,000 | Italy |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, France or Italy?
- Italy, at 338,000 against 304,000 in France as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between France and Italy?
- 34,000, with Italy ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Italy?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do France and Italy rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
- France ranks 23rd and Italy ranks 20th 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.
Individual pages
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.