Armed forces personnel, total in Canada
Canada: Armed forces personnel, total was 72,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in Canada, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
Canada recorded 72,000 for armed forces personnel, total in 2020.
The figure is up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Canada peaked at 88,000 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 61,600, in 2002.
Canada ranks 58th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 83,000 | — |
| 1989 | 88,000 | +6.0% |
| 1990 | 87,000 | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 86,000 | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 82,000 | -4.7% |
| 1993 | 76,000 | -7.3% |
| 1994 | 75,000 | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 75,700 | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 79,800 | +5.4% |
| 1997 | 72,700 | -8.9% |
| 1998 | 69,950 | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 69,950 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 68,500 | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 66,100 | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 61,600 | -6.8% |
| 2003 | 61,600 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 71,000 | +15.3% |
| 2005 | 71,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 64,000 | -9.9% |
| 2007 | 64,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 64,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 65,722 | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 65,700 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 65,700 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 66,000 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 65,700 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 70,200 | +6.8% |
| 2015 | 67,500 | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 67,500 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 72,000 | +6.7% |
| 2018 | 72,400 | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 72,000 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 72,000 | +0.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 72,000 is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 2.9× the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 85,500 | 83,000 | 88,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 77,410 | 69,950 | 87,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 65,752 | 61,600 | 71,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 68,470 | 65,700 | 72,400 | 10 |
| 2020s | 72,000 | 72,000 | 72,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 55 Azerbaijan 82,000 compare
- 56 Lebanon 80,000 compare
- 57 Cuba 76,000 compare
- 59 Bolivia 71,000 compare
- 59 Dominican Republic 71,000 compare
- 59 Kazakhstan 71,000 compare
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Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Canada?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Canada was 72,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 88,000 in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 61,600 in 2002.
- How does Canada rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Canada ranks 58th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel, total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.