Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in United States
United States: Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled was 1.40 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in United States, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived).
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in United States is 1.40 million, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in United States peaked at 2.24 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.35 million, in 2015.
That places United States 5th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 2.15 million | — |
| 1986 | 2.17 million | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 2.20 million | +1.0% |
| 1988 | 2.22 million | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 2.24 million | +1.0% |
| 1990 | 2.18 million | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 2.12 million | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 1.92 million | -9.4% |
| 1993 | 1.82 million | -5.2% |
| 1994 | 1.72 million | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 1.64 million | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 1.57 million | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 1.53 million | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 1.59 million | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 1.57 million | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 1.45 million | -7.6% |
| 2001 | 1.42 million | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 1.47 million | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 1.48 million | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 1.47 million | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 1.55 million | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 1.50 million | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 1.55 million | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 1.54 million | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 1.56 million | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 1.57 million | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 1.52 million | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 1.49 million | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 1.43 million | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 1.38 million | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 1.35 million | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 1.35 million | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 1.36 million | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 1.38 million | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 1.39 million | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 1.40 million | +0.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 1.40 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 55.8× the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.20 million | 2.15 million | 2.24 million | 5 |
| 1990s | 1.77 million | 1.53 million | 2.18 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.50 million | 1.42 million | 1.56 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.42 million | 1.35 million | 1.57 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.40 million | 1.40 million | 1.40 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States
More public sector data for United States
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in United States?
- Armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled in United States was 1.40 million in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 2.24 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.35 million in 2015.
- How does United States rank for armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled?
- United States ranks 5th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, gaps filled rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.