Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 165,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Afghanistan, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 165,000 for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in 2020.
That represents a change of down 40.6% on the previous year and down 46.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Afghanistan peaked at 429,000 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 27,000, in 2004.
That places Afghanistan 37th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 47,000 | — |
| 1986 | 49,000 | +4.3% |
| 1987 | 51,000 | +4.1% |
| 1988 | 53,000 | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 55,000 | +3.8% |
| 1990 | 58,000 | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 45,000 | -22.4% |
| 1992 | 45,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 45,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 45,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 383,000 | +751.1% |
| 1996 | 429,000 | +12.0% |
| 1997 | 429,000 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 400,000 | -6.8% |
| 1999 | 400,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 400,000 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 260,000 | -35.0% |
| 2002 | 120,000 | -53.8% |
| 2003 | 130,000 | +8.3% |
| 2004 | 27,000 | -79.2% |
| 2005 | 27,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 51,000 | +88.9% |
| 2007 | 51,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 94,000 | +84.3% |
| 2009 | 255,745 | +172.1% |
| 2010 | 306,800 | +20.0% |
| 2011 | 340,350 | +10.9% |
| 2012 | 338,150 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 330,650 | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 308,800 | -6.6% |
| 2015 | 319,400 | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 323,000 | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 323,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 272,900 | -15.5% |
| 2019 | 278,000 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 165,000 | -40.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 51,000 | 47,000 | 55,000 | 5 |
| 1990s | 227,900 | 45,000 | 429,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 141,574 | 27,000 | 400,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 314,105 | 272,900 | 340,350 | 10 |
| 2020s | 165,000 | 165,000 | 165,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More public sector data for Afghanistan
- Arms imports 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 1.62 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0046 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -71.86 % change on previous year (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 65.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2021)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 6.96 current USD per person (2021)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0195 current USD per US$ of GDP (2021)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -0.4743 % change on previous year (2021)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 278.25 million current USD (2021)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 99.66 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Afghanistan?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Afghanistan was 165,000 in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 429,000 in 1996.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 27,000 in 2004.
- How does Afghanistan rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- Afghanistan ranks 37th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Armed forces personnel, total with 597 missing years estimated by linear interpolation between the nearest real observations. Only gaps of 4 years or fewer are filled, and never beyond the first or last actual measurement — these are filled holes, not forecasts.