Israel vs North America: Armed forces personnel, total

Israel
178,000
in 2020
North America
1.47 million
in 2020
Israel rank
36th
North America rank
35th

Armed forces personnel, total over time

  • Israel
  • North America
0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M198520022020

How they compare

North America currently reports 1.47 million against 178,000 in Israel, a difference of 1.29 million.

That makes North America's figure about 8.2 times Israel's.

Across all 33 years both countries report, North America has been ahead every year.

Israel ranks 36th and North America ranks 35th of 173 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade Israel North America Difference Ahead
1980s 166,500 2.28 million 2.11 million North America
1990s 182,785 1.84 million 1.66 million North America
2000s 178,805 1.57 million 1.39 million North America
2010s 182,510 1.49 million 1.31 million North America
2020s 178,000 1.47 million 1.29 million North America

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Israel or North America?
North America, at 1.47 million against 178,000 in Israel as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Israel and North America?
1.29 million, with North America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Israel and North America?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Israel and North America rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
Israel ranks 36th and North America ranks 35th 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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Israel vs North America: Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-total/israel/north-america/

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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.