Armed forces personnel, total in Guatemala
Guatemala: Armed forces personnel, total was 43,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in Guatemala, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Guatemala is 43,000, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 25.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Guatemala peaked at 56,500 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 31,700, in 1985.
Guatemala ranks 76th 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 Guatemala, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 31,700 | — |
| 1989 | 43,000 | +35.6% |
| 1990 | 43,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 43,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 44,000 | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 44,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 34,000 | -22.7% |
| 1995 | 56,500 | +66.2% |
| 1996 | 56,500 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 50,500 | -10.6% |
| 1998 | 41,200 | -18.4% |
| 1999 | 40,900 | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 52,900 | +29.3% |
| 2001 | 50,400 | -4.7% |
| 2002 | 50,400 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 50,400 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 48,000 | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 48,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 35,000 | -27.1% |
| 2007 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 34,212 | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 34,212 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 42,300 | +23.6% |
| 2012 | 42,300 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 42,300 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 43,050 | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 43,050 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 43,050 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 43,000 | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 43,050 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 43,000 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 43,000 | +0.0% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 43,000 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 67% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 43,000 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28,500, 1.5× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Guatemala 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +66.2% | 34,000 | 56,500 |
| 1989 | +35.6% | 31,700 | 43,000 |
| 2000 | +29.3% | 40,900 | 52,900 |
| 2006 | -27.1% | 48,000 | 35,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 37,350 | 31,700 | 43,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 45,360 | 34,000 | 56,500 | 10 |
| 2000s | 43,931 | 34,212 | 52,900 | 10 |
| 2010s | 41,931 | 34,212 | 43,050 | 10 |
| 2020s | 43,000 | 43,000 | 43,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
More public sector data for Guatemala
- 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 6 (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 Guatemala?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Guatemala was 43,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 56,500 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 31,700 in 1985.
- How does Guatemala rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Guatemala ranks 76th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.