Armed forces personnel, total in Ireland
Ireland: Armed forces personnel, total was 9,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in Ireland, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Ireland is 9,000, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Ireland peaked at 17,000 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 8,650, in 2018.
That places Ireland 136th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 13,700 | — |
| 1989 | 13,000 | -5.1% |
| 1990 | 13,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 13,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 13,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 13,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 17,000 | +30.8% |
| 1995 | 12,900 | -24.1% |
| 1996 | 12,700 | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 12,700 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 11,500 | -9.4% |
| 1999 | 11,500 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 11,500 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 10,500 | -8.7% |
| 2002 | 10,500 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 10,400 | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 10,000 | -3.8% |
| 2005 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10,460 | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 10,460 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 8,900 | -14.9% |
| 2012 | 9,350 | +5.1% |
| 2013 | 9,350 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 9,100 | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 9,100 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 9,100 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 9,000 | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 8,650 | -3.9% |
| 2019 | 9,000 | +4.0% |
| 2020 | 9,000 | +0.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 9,000 is below the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 36% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 9,000 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 34% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13,350 | 13,000 | 13,700 | 2 |
| 1990s | 13,030 | 11,500 | 17,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10,336 | 10,000 | 11,500 | 10 |
| 2010s | 9,201 | 8,650 | 10,460 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,000 | 9,000 | 9,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More public sector data for Ireland
- Democracy, 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)
- 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)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 7 (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 Ireland?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Ireland was 9,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 17,000 in 1994.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,650 in 2018.
- How does Ireland rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Ireland ranks 136th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.