Russia vs World: Armed forces personnel, total
Russia
1.45 million
in 2020
World
27.41 million
in 2020
Russia rank
4th
World rank
1st
Armed forces personnel, total over time
- Russia
- World
How they compare
World currently reports 27.41 million against 1.45 million in Russia, a difference of 25.95 million.
That makes World's figure about 18.8 times Russia's.
Across all 29 years both countries report, World has been ahead every year.
Russia ranks 4th and World ranks 1st of 173 countries.
World has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Russia | World | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.65 million | 27.65 million | 26.00 million | World |
| 2000s | 1.44 million | 27.94 million | 26.50 million | World |
| 2010s | 1.40 million | 27.65 million | 26.25 million | World |
| 2020s | 1.45 million | 27.41 million | 25.95 million | World |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, total, Russia or World?
- World, at 27.41 million against 1.45 million in Russia as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel, total between Russia and World?
- 25.95 million, with World ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Russia and World?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.
- How do Russia and World rank globally for armed forces personnel, total?
- Russia ranks 4th and World ranks 1st 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.