Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in New Zealand

New Zealand: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 10,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
10,000
Change on year
up 11.1%
World rank
131st
of 173 countries
All-time high
12,400
in 1985
All-time low
8,000
in 2004
Years of data
36
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in New Zealand, 1985–2020

02.5k5.0k7.5k10.0k12.5k1985200220201985: 12.4k1986: 12.3k1987: 12.2k1988: 12.1k1989: 12.0k1990: 11.0k1991: 11.0k1992: 11.0k1993: 11.0k1994: 10.0k1995: 10.1k1996: 9.9k1997: 9.6k1998: 9.6k1999: 9.5k2000: 9.2k2001: 9.2k2002: 8.7k2003: 8.6k2004: 8.0k2005: 9.0k2006: 9.0k2007: 9.0k2008: 9.0k2009: 9.7k2010: 9.7k2011: 8.6k2012: 8.6k2013: 8.5k2014: 8.5k2015: 8.9k2016: 9.0k2017: 9.0k2018: 9.4k2019: 9.0k2020: 10.0k

Source: Statizoid (derived).

Analysis

New Zealand recorded 10,000 for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 11.1% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in New Zealand peaked at 12,400 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 8,000, in 2004.

New Zealand ranks 131st of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in New Zealand, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in New Zealand, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 12,400
1986 12,300 -0.8%
1987 12,200 -0.8%
1988 12,100 -0.8%
1989 12,000 -0.8%
1990 11,000 -8.3%
1991 11,000 +0.0%
1992 11,000 +0.0%
1993 11,000 +0.0%
1994 10,000 -9.1%
1995 10,100 +1.0%
1996 9,870 -2.3%
1997 9,550 -3.2%
1998 9,550 +0.0%
1999 9,530 -0.2%
2000 9,200 -3.5%
2001 9,200 +0.0%
2002 8,700 -5.4%
2003 8,600 -1.1%
2004 8,000 -7.0%
2005 9,000 +12.5%
2006 9,000 +0.0%
2007 9,000 +0.0%
2008 9,000 +0.0%
2009 9,673 +7.5%
2010 9,673 +0.0%
2011 8,550 -11.6%
2012 8,550 +0.0%
2013 8,500 -0.6%
2014 8,500 +0.0%
2015 8,950 +5.3%
2016 9,000 +0.6%
2017 9,000 +0.0%
2018 9,400 +4.4%
2019 9,000 -4.3%
2020 10,000 +11.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 12,200 12,000 12,400 5
1990s 10,260 9,530 11,000 10
2000s 8,937 8,000 9,673 10
2010s 8,912 8,500 9,673 10
2020s 10,000 10,000 10,000 1

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 128 Burkina Faso 11,000 compare
  2. 128 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11,000 compare
  3. 128 Mozambique 11,000 compare
  4. 131 Central African Republic 10,000 compare
  5. 131 Costa Rica 10,000 compare
  6. 131 Niger 10,000 compare
  7. 131 Togo 10,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in New Zealand?
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in New Zealand was 10,000 in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 12,400 in 1985.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 8,000 in 2004.
How does New Zealand rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
New Zealand ranks 131st out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this New Zealand 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 New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-gaps-filled/new-zealand/

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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.