Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in El Salvador

El Salvador: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 42,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
42,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
77th
of 173 countries
All-time high
60,000
in 1991
All-time low
15,000
in 2004
Years of data
36
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in El Salvador, 1985–2020

10.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k50.0k60.0k1985200220201985: 41.7k1986: 42.5k1987: 43.4k1988: 44.2k1989: 45.0k1990: 55.0k1991: 60.0k1992: 49.0k1993: 49.0k1994: 30.0k1995: 38.5k1996: 40.4k1997: 40.4k1998: 36.6k1999: 36.6k2000: 28.8k2001: 28.8k2002: 28.8k2003: 27.5k2004: 15.0k2005: 16.0k2006: 28.0k2007: 33.0k2008: 33.0k2009: 32.5k2010: 32.5k2011: 32.3k2012: 32.3k2013: 32.3k2014: 41.5k2015: 41.5k2016: 41.5k2017: 42.0k2018: 41.5k2019: 42.0k2020: 42.0k

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

El Salvador recorded 42,000 for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in 2020.

The figure is up 29.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in El Salvador peaked at 60,000 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 15,000, in 2004.

That places El Salvador 77th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it 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 El Salvador, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in El Salvador, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 41,700
1986 42,525 +2.0%
1987 43,350 +1.9%
1988 44,175 +1.9%
1989 45,000 +1.9%
1990 55,000 +22.2%
1991 60,000 +9.1%
1992 49,000 -18.3%
1993 49,000 +0.0%
1994 30,000 -38.8%
1995 38,500 +28.3%
1996 40,400 +4.9%
1997 40,400 +0.0%
1998 36,600 -9.4%
1999 36,600 +0.0%
2000 28,800 -21.3%
2001 28,800 +0.0%
2002 28,800 +0.0%
2003 27,500 -4.5%
2004 15,000 -45.5%
2005 16,000 +6.7%
2006 28,000 +75.0%
2007 33,000 +17.9%
2008 33,000 +0.0%
2009 32,500 -1.5%
2010 32,500 +0.0%
2011 32,300 -0.6%
2012 32,300 +0.0%
2013 32,300 +0.0%
2014 41,500 +28.5%
2015 41,500 +0.0%
2016 41,500 +0.0%
2017 42,000 +1.2%
2018 41,500 -1.2%
2019 42,000 +1.2%
2020 42,000 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 43,350 41,700 45,000 5
1990s 43,550 30,000 60,000 10
2000s 27,140 15,000 33,000 10
2010s 37,940 32,300 42,000 10
2020s 42,000 42,000 42,000 1

Countries ranked near El Salvador

  1. 75 Chad 45,000 compare
  2. 76 Guatemala 43,000 compare
  3. 77 Ecuador 42,000 compare
  4. 79 Mali 41,000 compare
  5. 79 Netherlands 41,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for El Salvador

All data for El Salvador →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in El Salvador?
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in El Salvador was 42,000 in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in El Salvador?
The highest recorded value was 60,000 in 1991.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in El Salvador?
The lowest recorded value was 15,000 in 2004.
How does El Salvador rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
El Salvador ranks 77th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in El Salvador?
Over the last ten years it is up 29.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this El Salvador 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 El Salvador. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-gaps-filled/el-salvador/

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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.