Russian Federation vs United States of America: Armed forces personnel, total
Russian Federation
1.45 million
in 2020
United States of America
1.40 million
in 2020
Russian Federation rank
4th
United States of America rank
5th
Armed forces personnel, total over time
- Russian Federation
- United States of America
How they compare
Russian Federation currently reports 1.45 million against 1.40 million in United States of America, a difference of 59,000.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 29 shared years of data; in 1992 it was United States of America ahead.
Russian Federation ranks 4th and United States of America ranks 5th of 173 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Russian Federation averaged higher in 1 and United States of America in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Russian Federation | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.65 million | 1.67 million | 17,612 | United States of America |
| 2000s | 1.44 million | 1.50 million | 62,130 | United States of America |
| 2010s | 1.40 million | 1.42 million | 20,762 | United States of America |
| 2020s | 1.45 million | 1.40 million | 59,000 | Russian Federation |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Russian Federation or United States of America?
- Russian Federation, at 1.45 million against 1.40 million in United States of America as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Russian Federation and United States of America?
- 59,000, with Russian Federation ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Russian Federation and United States of America?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.
- How do Russian Federation and United States of America rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
- Russian Federation ranks 4th 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.
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.