Armed forces personnel, total in IDA & IBRD total

IDA & IBRD total: Armed forces personnel, total was 20.87 million in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
20.87 million
Change on year
down 1.3%
Rank
2nd
of 46 groups
All-time high
22.34 million
in 1996
All-time low
14.15 million
in 1991
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total in IDA & IBRD total, 1985–2020

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M1985200220201985: 14.4M1989: 15.8M1990: 15.3M1991: 14.1M1992: 16.4M1993: 15.8M1994: 15.4M1995: 22.2M1996: 22.3M1997: 22.0M1998: 22.1M1999: 21.9M2000: 22.0M2001: 20.9M2002: 21.0M2003: 20.9M2004: 20.0M2005: 21.1M2006: 19.9M2007: 20.1M2008: 20.3M2009: 20.8M2010: 21.0M2011: 21.0M2012: 21.2M2013: 20.4M2014: 20.7M2015: 20.8M2016: 20.8M2017: 20.9M2018: 21.1M2019: 21.1M2020: 20.9M

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

Analysis

IDA & IBRD total recorded 20.87 million for armed forces personnel, total in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in IDA & IBRD total peaked at 22.34 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 14.15 million, in 1991.

IDA & IBRD total ranks 2nd 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.

Armed forces personnel, total in IDA & IBRD total, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total in IDA & IBRD total, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 14.42 million —
1989 15.76 million +9.2%
1990 15.27 million -3.1%
1991 14.15 million -7.3%
1992 16.43 million +16.1%
1993 15.77 million -4.0%
1994 15.40 million -2.3%
1995 22.17 million +43.9%
1996 22.34 million +0.8%
1997 22.05 million -1.3%
1998 22.11 million +0.3%
1999 21.89 million -1.0%
2000 21.97 million +0.4%
2001 20.89 million -4.9%
2002 20.95 million +0.3%
2003 20.91 million -0.2%
2004 19.96 million -4.5%
2005 21.10 million +5.7%
2006 19.86 million -5.9%
2007 20.08 million +1.1%
2008 20.34 million +1.3%
2009 20.81 million +2.3%
2010 20.99 million +0.9%
2011 21.01 million +0.1%
2012 21.20 million +0.9%
2013 20.38 million -3.9%
2014 20.65 million +1.3%
2015 20.83 million +0.9%
2016 20.84 million +0.0%
2017 20.86 million +0.1%
2018 21.13 million +1.3%
2019 21.14 million +0.1%
2020 20.87 million -1.3%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Armed forces personnel, total in IDA & IBRD total 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.

YearChange FromTo
1995 +43.9% 15.40 million 22.17 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 15.09 million 14.42 million 15.76 million 2
1990s 18.76 million 14.15 million 22.34 million 10
2000s 20.69 million 19.86 million 21.97 million 10
2010s 20.90 million 20.38 million 21.20 million 10
2020s 20.87 million 20.87 million 20.87 million 1

Countries ranked near IDA & IBRD total

  1. 1 India 3.07 million compare
  2. 2 China 2.54 million compare
  3. 3 North Korea 1.47 million compare
  4. 4 Russia 1.45 million compare
  5. 5 United States 1.40 million compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for IDA & IBRD total

All data for IDA & IBRD total →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total in IDA & IBRD total?
Armed forces personnel, total in IDA & IBRD total was 20.87 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in IDA & IBRD total?
The highest recorded value was 22.34 million in 1996.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in IDA & IBRD total?
The lowest recorded value was 14.15 million in 1991.
How does IDA & IBRD total rank for armed forces personnel, total?
IDA & IBRD total ranks 2nd out of 46 groups with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in IDA & IBRD total?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this IDA & IBRD total 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 IDA & IBRD total. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 10 October 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total/ida-and-ibrd-total/

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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.