Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Low & middle income

Low & middle income: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 20.41 million in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
20.41 million
Change on year
down 1.3%
Rank
2nd
of 43 groups
All-time high
20.99 million
in 1996
All-time low
14.49 million
in 1994
Years of data
36
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Low & middle income, 1985–2020

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M1985200220201985: 14.6M1986: 15.0M1987: 15.4M1988: 15.8M1989: 16.2M1990: 16.0M1991: 14.9M1992: 15.1M1993: 14.8M1994: 14.5M1995: 20.7M1996: 21.0M1997: 20.6M1998: 20.8M1999: 20.8M2000: 21.0M2001: 20.1M2002: 20.2M2003: 20.2M2004: 19.3M2005: 20.5M2006: 19.3M2007: 19.5M2008: 19.7M2009: 20.3M2010: 20.5M2011: 20.7M2012: 20.8M2013: 20.0M2014: 20.3M2015: 20.2M2016: 20.4M2017: 20.4M2018: 20.7M2019: 20.7M2020: 20.4M

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

Low & middle income recorded 20.41 million for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in 2020.

The figure is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Low & middle income peaked at 20.99 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 14.49 million, in 1994.

That places Low & middle income 2nd out of 43 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Low & middle income, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Low & middle income, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 14.60 million
1986 15.01 million +2.8%
1987 15.42 million +2.7%
1988 15.83 million +2.7%
1989 16.24 million +2.6%
1990 16.05 million -1.2%
1991 14.89 million -7.2%
1992 15.12 million +1.6%
1993 14.81 million -2.1%
1994 14.49 million -2.2%
1995 20.66 million +42.6%
1996 20.99 million +1.6%
1997 20.55 million -2.1%
1998 20.75 million +1.0%
1999 20.79 million +0.2%
2000 20.95 million +0.8%
2001 20.07 million -4.2%
2002 20.19 million +0.6%
2003 20.23 million +0.2%
2004 19.27 million -4.7%
2005 20.46 million +6.1%
2006 19.31 million -5.6%
2007 19.48 million +0.9%
2008 19.74 million +1.3%
2009 20.30 million +2.9%
2010 20.55 million +1.2%
2011 20.66 million +0.5%
2012 20.79 million +0.7%
2013 20.03 million -3.7%
2014 20.26 million +1.2%
2015 20.23 million -0.2%
2016 20.36 million +0.7%
2017 20.40 million +0.2%
2018 20.65 million +1.3%
2019 20.67 million +0.1%
2020 20.41 million -1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 15.42 million 14.60 million 16.24 million 5
1990s 17.91 million 14.49 million 20.99 million 10
2000s 20.00 million 19.27 million 20.95 million 10
2010s 20.46 million 20.03 million 20.79 million 10
2020s 20.41 million 20.41 million 20.41 million 1

Countries ranked near Low & middle income

  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 Low & middle income

All data for Low & middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Low & middle income?
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in Low & middle income was 20.41 million in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Low & middle income?
The highest recorded value was 20.99 million in 1996.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in Low & middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 14.49 million in 1994.
How does Low & middle income rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
Low & middle income ranks 2nd out of 43 groups with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in Low & middle income?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Low & middle income 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 Low & middle income. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-gaps-filled/low-and-middle-income/

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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.