Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in European Union

European Union: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 1.91 million in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
1.91 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
2nd
of 3 regions
All-time high
3.56 million
in 1995
All-time low
1.91 million
in 2019
Years of data
36
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in European Union, 1985–2020

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1985200220201985: 3.1M1986: 3.2M1987: 3.2M1988: 3.3M1989: 3.4M1990: 3.2M1991: 3.1M1992: 3.0M1993: 3.0M1994: 3.0M1995: 3.6M1996: 3.5M1997: 3.3M1998: 3.2M1999: 3.1M2000: 2.9M2001: 2.7M2002: 2.6M2003: 2.5M2004: 2.4M2005: 2.4M2006: 2.3M2007: 2.3M2008: 2.3M2009: 2.1M2010: 2.1M2011: 2.0M2012: 2.0M2013: 2.0M2014: 2.0M2015: 2.0M2016: 2.0M2017: 1.9M2018: 1.9M2019: 1.9M2020: 1.9M

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

European Union recorded 1.91 million for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in 2020.

The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in European Union peaked at 3.56 million in 1995 and was at its lowest, 1.91 million, in 2019.

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

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in European Union, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in European Union, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 3.09 million
1986 3.17 million +2.4%
1987 3.24 million +2.3%
1988 3.31 million +2.3%
1989 3.39 million +2.2%
1990 3.21 million -5.3%
1991 3.11 million -3.1%
1992 3.05 million -2.0%
1993 3.01 million -1.1%
1994 3.01 million -0.0%
1995 3.56 million +18.1%
1996 3.47 million -2.4%
1997 3.30 million -4.8%
1998 3.23 million -2.3%
1999 3.09 million -4.4%
2000 2.86 million -7.3%
2001 2.69 million -5.9%
2002 2.65 million -1.6%
2003 2.54 million -4.2%
2004 2.39 million -5.7%
2005 2.41 million +0.9%
2006 2.29 million -4.9%
2007 2.26 million -1.6%
2008 2.25 million -0.1%
2009 2.07 million -8.2%
2010 2.10 million +1.5%
2011 2.00 million -4.6%
2012 2.03 million +1.0%
2013 2.01 million -1.0%
2014 2.00 million -0.5%
2015 1.98 million -0.8%
2016 1.97 million -0.6%
2017 1.92 million -2.5%
2018 1.92 million +0.0%
2019 1.91 million -0.5%
2020 1.91 million +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 3.24 million 3.09 million 3.39 million 5
1990s 3.20 million 3.01 million 3.56 million 10
2000s 2.44 million 2.07 million 2.86 million 10
2010s 1.98 million 1.91 million 2.10 million 10
2020s 1.91 million 1.91 million 1.91 million 1

Countries ranked near European Union

  1. 1 India 3.07 million compare
  2. 2 China 2.54 million compare
  3. 3 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 1.47 million compare
  4. 4 Russian Federation 1.45 million compare
  5. 5 United States of America 1.40 million compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for European Union

All data for European Union →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in European Union?
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in European Union was 1.91 million in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in European Union?
The highest recorded value was 3.56 million in 1995.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in European Union?
The lowest recorded value was 1.91 million in 2019.
How does European Union rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
European Union ranks 2nd out of 3 regions with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in European Union?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this European Union 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 European Union. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-gaps-filled/european-union/

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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.