Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 2.56 million in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Least developed countries, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
Least developed countries recorded 2.56 million for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in 2020.
The figure is down 9.9% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Least developed countries peaked at 3.17 million in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1.16 million, in 1985.
That places Least developed countries 28th out of 43 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1.16 million | — |
| 1986 | 1.24 million | +7.2% |
| 1987 | 1.32 million | +6.7% |
| 1988 | 1.41 million | +6.3% |
| 1989 | 1.49 million | +5.9% |
| 1990 | 1.67 million | +11.8% |
| 1991 | 1.60 million | -4.2% |
| 1992 | 1.51 million | -5.3% |
| 1993 | 1.55 million | +2.7% |
| 1994 | 1.48 million | -4.9% |
| 1995 | 2.65 million | +79.7% |
| 1996 | 2.75 million | +3.5% |
| 1997 | 2.88 million | +5.1% |
| 1998 | 2.87 million | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 3.07 million | +6.8% |
| 2000 | 3.08 million | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 2.45 million | -20.5% |
| 2002 | 2.64 million | +7.9% |
| 2003 | 2.65 million | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 2.47 million | -6.7% |
| 2005 | 2.50 million | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 2.50 million | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2.50 million | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.55 million | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 2.75 million | +7.7% |
| 2010 | 2.94 million | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 3.16 million | +7.3% |
| 2012 | 3.17 million | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 3.13 million | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 3.00 million | -4.1% |
| 2015 | 3.01 million | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 2.89 million | -3.9% |
| 2017 | 2.84 million | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 2.81 million | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 2.84 million | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 2.56 million | -9.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.32 million | 1.16 million | 1.49 million | 5 |
| 1990s | 2.20 million | 1.48 million | 3.07 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.61 million | 2.45 million | 3.08 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.98 million | 2.81 million | 3.17 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.56 million | 2.56 million | 2.56 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 25 Saudi Arabia 282,000 compare
- 26 Syrian Arab Republic 269,000 compare
- 27 Japan 261,000 compare
- 28 Morocco 246,000 compare
- 29 Bangladesh 227,000 compare
- 30 Nigeria 223,000 compare
- 31 Eritrea 202,000 compare
More public sector data for Least developed countries
- Arms imports 748.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 0.645 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0005 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -26.74 % change on previous year (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 748.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2023)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 19.79 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0152 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 19.77 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 23.48 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 36.74 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Least developed countries?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Least developed countries was 2.56 million in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 3.17 million in 2012.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.16 million in 1985.
- How does Least developed countries rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- Least developed countries ranks 28th out of 43 groups with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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.