Armed forces personnel, total in IDA blend
IDA blend: Armed forces personnel, total was 1.40 million in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in IDA blend, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in IDA blend is 1.40 million, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.7% on the previous year and up 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in IDA blend peaked at 1.50 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 663,700, in 1985.
IDA blend ranks 40th of 46 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in IDA blend, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 663,700 | — |
| 1989 | 768,000 | +15.7% |
| 1990 | 774,000 | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 790,000 | +2.1% |
| 1992 | 821,000 | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 818,000 | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 797,000 | -2.6% |
| 1995 | 1.14 million | +43.5% |
| 1996 | 1.13 million | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 1.18 million | +4.7% |
| 1998 | 1.20 million | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.21 million | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 1.22 million | +1.2% |
| 2001 | 1.29 million | +5.1% |
| 2002 | 1.28 million | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 1.28 million | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 1.30 million | +1.7% |
| 2005 | 1.32 million | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 1.23 million | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 1.32 million | +6.6% |
| 2008 | 1.32 million | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.32 million | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.32 million | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 1.30 million | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 1.30 million | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 1.30 million | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.31 million | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 1.36 million | +3.7% |
| 2016 | 1.36 million | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 1.38 million | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 1.40 million | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 1.50 million | +6.6% |
| 2020 | 1.40 million | -6.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in IDA blend 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 | +43.5% | 797,000 | 1.14 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 715,850 | 663,700 | 768,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 986,525 | 774,000 | 1.21 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.29 million | 1.22 million | 1.32 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.35 million | 1.30 million | 1.50 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.40 million | 1.40 million | 1.40 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near IDA blend
- 37 Afghanistan 165,000 compare
- 38 Belarus 158,000 compare
- 38 Peru 158,000 compare
- 40 Philippines 157,000 compare
- 41 United Kingdom 153,000 compare
- 42 Greece 147,000 compare
- 43 Sudan 144,000 compare
More public sector data for IDA blend
- Arms imports 1.10 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 1.62 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -57.84 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 1.10 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 21.19 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0128 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate -6.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 14.35 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 529.41 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in IDA blend?
- Armed forces personnel, total in IDA blend was 1.40 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in IDA blend?
- The highest recorded value was 1.50 million in 2019.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in IDA blend?
- The lowest recorded value was 663,700 in 1985.
- How does IDA blend rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- IDA blend ranks 40th out of 46 groups with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in IDA blend?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this IDA blend 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.