Armed forces personnel, total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)

East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries): Armed forces personnel, total was 5.29 million in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
5.29 million
Change on year
down 0.9%
Rank
14th
of 44 groups
All-time high
6.82 million
in 1996
All-time low
4.88 million
in 1994
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), 1985–2020

02.0M4.0M6.0M1985200220201985: 6.0M1989: 6.3M1990: 5.8M1991: 5.5M1992: 5.3M1993: 5.2M1994: 4.9M1995: 6.8M1996: 6.8M1997: 6.2M1998: 6.5M1999: 6.4M2000: 6.5M2001: 6.3M2002: 6.4M2003: 6.4M2004: 5.9M2005: 6.4M2006: 6.2M2007: 5.5M2008: 5.5M2009: 5.6M2010: 5.6M2011: 5.8M2012: 5.8M2013: 5.8M2014: 5.8M2015: 5.7M2016: 5.5M2017: 5.5M2018: 5.5M2019: 5.3M2020: 5.3M

Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Analysis

East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 5.29 million for armed forces personnel, total in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 6.82 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 4.88 million, in 1994.

East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 14th of 44 groups 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 East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries), 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 5.98 million
1989 6.34 million +6.0%
1990 5.79 million -8.6%
1991 5.53 million -4.6%
1992 5.31 million -4.0%
1993 5.16 million -2.8%
1994 4.88 million -5.4%
1995 6.78 million +38.8%
1996 6.82 million +0.6%
1997 6.24 million -8.4%
1998 6.46 million +3.4%
1999 6.44 million -0.3%
2000 6.55 million +1.7%
2001 6.31 million -3.6%
2002 6.36 million +0.8%
2003 6.41 million +0.7%
2004 5.86 million -8.6%
2005 6.36 million +8.6%
2006 6.24 million -1.9%
2007 5.52 million -11.5%
2008 5.52 million +0.0%
2009 5.60 million +1.4%
2010 5.63 million +0.5%
2011 5.78 million +2.7%
2012 5.80 million +0.4%
2013 5.80 million +0.0%
2014 5.80 million +0.0%
2015 5.65 million -2.6%
2016 5.51 million -2.6%
2017 5.50 million -0.1%
2018 5.50 million -0.0%
2019 5.34 million -2.9%
2020 5.29 million -0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 6.16 million 5.98 million 6.34 million 2
1990s 5.94 million 4.88 million 6.82 million 10
2000s 6.07 million 5.52 million 6.55 million 10
2010s 5.63 million 5.34 million 5.80 million 10
2020s 5.29 million 5.29 million 5.29 million 1

Countries ranked near East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)

  1. 11 South Korea 569,000 compare
  2. 12 Vietnam 522,000 compare
  3. 13 Turkey 512,000 compare
  4. 14 Myanmar 463,000 compare
  5. 15 Iraq 459,000 compare
  6. 16 Thailand 455,000 compare
  7. 17 Colombia 428,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)

All data for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Armed forces personnel, total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) was 5.29 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The highest recorded value was 6.82 million in 1996.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The lowest recorded value was 4.88 million in 1994.
How does East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for armed forces personnel, total?
East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 14th out of 44 groups with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 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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Armed forces personnel, total in East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries). Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total/east-asia-and-pacific-ida-and-ibrd-countries/

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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total
Source
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.