Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in OECD members
OECD members: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 5.86 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in OECD members, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in OECD members is 5.86 million, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in OECD members peaked at 8.02 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 5.86 million, in 2020.
OECD members ranks 12th of 43 groups on this measure, 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 OECD members, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 7.38 million | — |
| 1986 | 7.54 million | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 7.70 million | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 7.86 million | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 8.02 million | +2.0% |
| 1990 | 7.91 million | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 7.82 million | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 7.39 million | -5.4% |
| 1993 | 7.26 million | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 7.27 million | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 7.36 million | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 7.27 million | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 7.20 million | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 7.19 million | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 7.08 million | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 6.73 million | -4.9% |
| 2001 | 6.52 million | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 6.53 million | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 6.52 million | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 6.32 million | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 6.57 million | +4.0% |
| 2006 | 6.41 million | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 6.42 million | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 6.42 million | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 6.35 million | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 6.38 million | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 6.23 million | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 6.24 million | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6.16 million | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 6.08 million | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 5.96 million | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 5.97 million | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 5.95 million | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 5.95 million | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 5.94 million | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 5.86 million | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 7.70 million | 7.38 million | 8.02 million | 5 |
| 1990s | 7.37 million | 7.08 million | 7.91 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.48 million | 6.32 million | 6.73 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.08 million | 5.94 million | 6.38 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.86 million | 5.86 million | 5.86 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More public sector data for OECD members
- Arms imports 11.87 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 8.5 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 26.58 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 11.87 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 1,238 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0253 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 12.54 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 1.73 trillion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 265.52 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in OECD members?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in OECD members was 5.86 million in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 8.02 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.86 million in 2020.
- How does OECD members rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- OECD members ranks 12th out of 43 groups with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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.