Armed forces personnel, total in Israel
Israel: Armed forces personnel, total was 178,000 in 2020. ▬ Flat
Armed forces personnel, total in Israel, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Israel stood at 178,000.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Israel peaked at 191,000 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 142,000, in 1985.
That places Israel 36th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
Armed forces personnel, total in Israel, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 142,000 | — |
| 1989 | 191,000 | +34.5% |
| 1990 | 190,000 | -0.5% |
| 1991 | 190,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 181,000 | -4.7% |
| 1993 | 181,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 185,000 | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 178,100 | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 181,100 | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 181,050 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 181,050 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 179,550 | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 180,500 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 171,500 | -5.0% |
| 2002 | 169,500 | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 175,000 | +3.2% |
| 2004 | 176,000 | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 176,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 185,000 | +5.1% |
| 2007 | 185,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 185,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 184,550 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 184,550 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 184,550 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 184,500 | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 184,500 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 184,500 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 184,500 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 184,500 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 178,000 | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 177,500 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 178,000 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 178,000 | +0.0% |
Israel compared with similar countries
- Israel's 178,000 is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 7.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Israel's 178,000 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 80,000, 2.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Israel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | +34.5% | 142,000 | 191,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 166,500 | 142,000 | 191,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 182,785 | 178,100 | 190,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 178,805 | 169,500 | 185,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 182,510 | 177,500 | 184,550 | 10 |
| 2020s | 178,000 | 178,000 | 178,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Israel
More public sector data for Israel
- 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 Israel?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Israel was 178,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Israel?
- The highest recorded value was 191,000 in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Israel?
- The lowest recorded value was 142,000 in 1985.
- How does Israel rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Israel ranks 36th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Israel?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Israel 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.