Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)

Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income): Armed forces personnel, total was 1.44 million in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
1.44 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
38th
of 46 groups
All-time high
2.12 million
in 1998
All-time low
1.33 million
in 2013
Years of data
29
1992–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 1992–2020

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M1992200620201992: 1.7M1993: 1.6M1994: 1.7M1995: 2.0M1996: 2.1M1997: 2.1M1998: 2.1M1999: 2.1M2000: 2.0M2001: 1.9M2002: 1.8M2003: 1.8M2004: 1.6M2005: 1.6M2006: 1.5M2007: 1.5M2008: 1.5M2009: 1.5M2010: 1.5M2011: 1.4M2012: 1.4M2013: 1.3M2014: 1.4M2015: 1.4M2016: 1.4M2017: 1.4M2018: 1.4M2019: 1.4M2020: 1.4M

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

Analysis

In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) stood at 1.44 million.

That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 3.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) peaked at 2.12 million in 1998 and was at its lowest, 1.33 million, in 2013.

Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 38th of 46 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.

Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income), 1992 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1992 1.66 million
1993 1.56 million -6.3%
1994 1.68 million +8.0%
1995 2.04 million +21.5%
1996 2.11 million +2.9%
1997 2.11 million +0.3%
1998 2.12 million +0.5%
1999 2.12 million -0.2%
2000 2.03 million -4.1%
2001 1.95 million -4.2%
2002 1.84 million -5.4%
2003 1.81 million -1.5%
2004 1.63 million -10.0%
2005 1.65 million +1.1%
2006 1.49 million -9.8%
2007 1.49 million -0.1%
2008 1.49 million +0.0%
2009 1.49 million +0.3%
2010 1.49 million -0.0%
2011 1.43 million -3.7%
2012 1.43 million -0.5%
2013 1.33 million -7.0%
2014 1.42 million +7.3%
2015 1.38 million -3.4%
2016 1.42 million +3.1%
2017 1.43 million +0.5%
2018 1.43 million -0.1%
2019 1.44 million +1.0%
2020 1.44 million +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1.93 million 1.56 million 2.12 million 8
2000s 1.69 million 1.49 million 2.03 million 10
2010s 1.42 million 1.33 million 1.49 million 10
2020s 1.44 million 1.44 million 1.44 million 1

Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)

  1. 35 Germany 183,000 compare
  2. 36 Israel 178,000 compare
  3. 37 Afghanistan 165,000 compare
  4. 38 Belarus 158,000 compare
  5. 38 Peru 158,000 compare
  6. 40 Philippines 157,000 compare
  7. 41 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 153,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)

All data for Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) was 1.44 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 2.12 million in 1998.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.33 million in 2013.
How does Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) rank for armed forces personnel, total?
Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) ranks 38th out of 46 groups with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 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 Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income). Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total/europe-and-central-asia-excluding-high-income/

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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.