Armed forces personnel, total in Denmark
Denmark: Armed forces personnel, total was 15,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in Denmark, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Denmark is 15,000, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Denmark peaked at 33,100 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 14,500, in 2018.
That places Denmark 117th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it 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 Denmark, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 29,600 | — |
| 1989 | 31,000 | +4.7% |
| 1990 | 31,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 30,000 | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 28,000 | -6.7% |
| 1993 | 27,000 | -3.6% |
| 1994 | 28,000 | +3.7% |
| 1995 | 33,100 | +18.2% |
| 1996 | 32,900 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 32,900 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 32,100 | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 27,000 | -15.9% |
| 2000 | 21,800 | -19.3% |
| 2001 | 21,400 | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 22,700 | +6.1% |
| 2003 | 22,800 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 21,000 | -7.9% |
| 2005 | 21,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 30,000 | +42.9% |
| 2007 | 30,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 30,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 18,707 | -37.6% |
| 2010 | 18,628 | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 16,450 | -11.7% |
| 2012 | 17,200 | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 17,200 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 17,200 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 16,600 | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 16,100 | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 15,000 | -6.8% |
| 2018 | 14,500 | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 15,000 | +3.4% |
| 2020 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
Denmark compared with similar countries
- Denmark's 15,000 is below the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 60% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Denmark's 15,000 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 57% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Denmark changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +42.9% | 21,000 | 30,000 |
| 2009 | -37.6% | 30,000 | 18,707 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 30,300 | 29,600 | 31,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 30,200 | 27,000 | 33,100 | 10 |
| 2000s | 23,941 | 18,707 | 30,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 16,388 | 14,500 | 18,628 | 10 |
| 2020s | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Denmark
More public sector data for Denmark
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, 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)
- 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 in Denmark?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Denmark was 15,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Denmark?
- The highest recorded value was 33,100 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Denmark?
- The lowest recorded value was 14,500 in 2018.
- How does Denmark rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Denmark ranks 117th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Denmark?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Denmark 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.