Armed forces personnel, total in IBRD only

IBRD only: Armed forces personnel, total was 16.35 million in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
16.35 million
Change on year
up 0.7%
Rank
5th
of 46 groups
All-time high
17.71 million
in 1996
All-time low
11.34 million
in 1991
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in IBRD only, 1985–2020

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M1985200220201985: 12.1M1989: 13.1M1990: 12.4M1991: 11.3M1992: 13.6M1993: 12.9M1994: 12.8M1995: 17.6M1996: 17.7M1997: 17.4M1998: 17.4M1999: 17.0M2000: 17.1M2001: 16.6M2002: 16.4M2003: 16.4M2004: 15.6M2005: 16.7M2006: 16.4M2007: 15.7M2008: 15.9M2009: 16.1M2010: 16.1M2011: 16.2M2012: 16.4M2013: 15.6M2014: 15.9M2015: 16.0M2016: 16.0M2017: 16.1M2018: 16.4M2019: 16.2M2020: 16.4M

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in IBRD only is 16.35 million, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of up 0.7% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in IBRD only peaked at 17.71 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 11.34 million, in 1991.

IBRD only ranks 5th of 46 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 12.60 million 12.12 million 13.08 million 2
1990s 15.03 million 11.34 million 17.71 million 10
2000s 16.29 million 15.58 million 17.08 million 10
2010s 16.08 million 15.58 million 16.37 million 10
2020s 16.35 million 16.35 million 16.35 million 1

Countries ranked near IBRD only

  1. 2 China 2.54 million compare
  2. 3 North Korea 1.47 million compare
  3. 4 Russia 1.45 million compare
  4. 5 United States 1.40 million compare
  5. 6 Pakistan 943,000 compare
  6. 7 Egypt 836,000 compare
  7. 8 Brazil 762,000 compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for IBRD only

All data for IBRD only →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in IBRD only?
Armed forces personnel, total in IBRD only was 16.35 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in IBRD only?
The highest recorded value was 17.71 million in 1996.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in IBRD only?
The lowest recorded value was 11.34 million in 1991.
How does IBRD only rank for armed forces personnel, total?
IBRD only ranks 5th out of 46 groups with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in IBRD only?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this IBRD only 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

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.