Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)

Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Armed forces personnel, total was 3.27 million in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
3.27 million
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
23rd
of 44 groups
All-time high
4.74 million
in 1997
All-time low
2.98 million
in 2013
Years of data
29
1992–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 1992–2020

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M1992200620201992: 4.2M1993: 3.7M1994: 3.7M1995: 4.7M1996: 4.5M1997: 4.7M1998: 4.6M1999: 4.4M2000: 4.2M2001: 3.9M2002: 3.8M2003: 3.7M2004: 3.5M2005: 3.6M2006: 3.3M2007: 3.4M2008: 3.4M2009: 3.3M2010: 3.3M2011: 3.1M2012: 3.2M2013: 3.0M2014: 3.1M2015: 3.3M2016: 3.3M2017: 3.2M2018: 3.3M2019: 3.3M2020: 3.3M

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

Analysis

Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 3.27 million for armed forces personnel, total in 2020.

That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 4.74 million in 1997 and was at its lowest, 2.98 million, in 2013.

That places Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 23rd out of 44 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 1992 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1992 4.21 million
1993 3.65 million -13.2%
1994 3.69 million +1.0%
1995 4.73 million +28.2%
1996 4.55 million -3.8%
1997 4.74 million +4.2%
1998 4.62 million -2.6%
1999 4.36 million -5.5%
2000 4.19 million -3.9%
2001 3.92 million -6.6%
2002 3.76 million -3.9%
2003 3.66 million -2.8%
2004 3.54 million -3.4%
2005 3.56 million +0.6%
2006 3.33 million -6.3%
2007 3.35 million +0.6%
2008 3.35 million +0.1%
2009 3.35 million -0.3%
2010 3.28 million -1.9%
2011 3.14 million -4.4%
2012 3.18 million +1.5%
2013 2.98 million -6.4%
2014 3.10 million +4.2%
2015 3.26 million +4.9%
2016 3.25 million -0.2%
2017 3.25 million -0.1%
2018 3.26 million +0.3%
2019 3.26 million +0.2%
2020 3.27 million +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4.32 million 3.65 million 4.74 million 8
2000s 3.60 million 3.33 million 4.19 million 10
2010s 3.20 million 2.98 million 3.28 million 10
2020s 3.27 million 3.27 million 3.27 million 1

Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)

  1. 20 Italy 338,000 compare
  2. 21 Algeria 326,000 compare
  3. 22 Sri Lanka 317,000 compare
  4. 23 France 304,000 compare
  5. 24 Ukraine 298,000 compare
  6. 25 Saudi Arabia 282,000 compare
  7. 26 Syria 269,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)

All data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Armed forces personnel, total in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 3.27 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 (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The highest recorded value was 4.74 million in 1997.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
The lowest recorded value was 2.98 million in 2013.
How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for armed forces personnel, total?
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 23rd out of 44 groups with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Europe & Central Asia (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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries). Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total/europe-and-central-asia-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.