Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Canada

Canada: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 72,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
72,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
58th
of 173 countries
All-time high
88,000
in 1989
All-time low
61,600
in 2002
Years of data
36
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Canada, 1985–2020

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k1985200220201985: 83.0k1986: 84.2k1987: 85.5k1988: 86.8k1989: 88.0k1990: 87.0k1991: 86.0k1992: 82.0k1993: 76.0k1994: 75.0k1995: 75.7k1996: 79.8k1997: 72.7k1998: 70.0k1999: 70.0k2000: 68.5k2001: 66.1k2002: 61.6k2003: 61.6k2004: 71.0k2005: 71.0k2006: 64.0k2007: 64.0k2008: 64.0k2009: 65.7k2010: 65.7k2011: 65.7k2012: 66.0k2013: 65.7k2014: 70.2k2015: 67.5k2016: 67.5k2017: 72.0k2018: 72.4k2019: 72.0k2020: 72.0k

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

Canada recorded 72,000 for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in 2020.

That represents a change of up 9.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Canada peaked at 88,000 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 61,600, in 2002.

Canada ranks 58th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Canada, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 83,000
1986 84,250 +1.5%
1987 85,500 +1.5%
1988 86,750 +1.5%
1989 88,000 +1.4%
1990 87,000 -1.1%
1991 86,000 -1.1%
1992 82,000 -4.7%
1993 76,000 -7.3%
1994 75,000 -1.3%
1995 75,700 +0.9%
1996 79,800 +5.4%
1997 72,700 -8.9%
1998 69,950 -3.8%
1999 69,950 +0.0%
2000 68,500 -2.1%
2001 66,100 -3.5%
2002 61,600 -6.8%
2003 61,600 +0.0%
2004 71,000 +15.3%
2005 71,000 +0.0%
2006 64,000 -9.9%
2007 64,000 +0.0%
2008 64,000 +0.0%
2009 65,722 +2.7%
2010 65,700 -0.0%
2011 65,700 +0.0%
2012 66,000 +0.5%
2013 65,700 -0.5%
2014 70,200 +6.8%
2015 67,500 -3.8%
2016 67,500 +0.0%
2017 72,000 +6.7%
2018 72,400 +0.6%
2019 72,000 -0.6%
2020 72,000 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 85,500 83,000 88,000 5
1990s 77,410 69,950 87,000 10
2000s 65,752 61,600 71,000 10
2010s 68,470 65,700 72,400 10
2020s 72,000 72,000 72,000 1

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 55 Azerbaijan 82,000 compare
  2. 56 Lebanon 80,000 compare
  3. 57 Cuba 76,000 compare
  4. 59 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 71,000 compare
  5. 59 Dominican Republic 71,000 compare
  6. 59 Kazakhstan 71,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Canada?
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Canada was 72,000 in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 88,000 in 1989.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 61,600 in 2002.
How does Canada rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
Canada ranks 58th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Canada 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.

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Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-gaps-filled/canada/

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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

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

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
219 places, 7,420 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.