Armed forces personnel, total in Latvia
Latvia: Armed forces personnel, total was 9,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in Latvia, 1992–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Latvia stood at 9,000.
That represents a change of up 50.0% on the previous year and up 95.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Latvia peaked at 17,000 in 2006 and was at its lowest, 4,600, in 2010.
Latvia ranks 136th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Latvia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 5,000 | — |
| 1993 | 5,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 6,000 | +20.0% |
| 1995 | 11,300 | +88.3% |
| 1996 | 12,300 | +8.8% |
| 1997 | 8,100 | -34.1% |
| 1998 | 8,680 | +7.2% |
| 1999 | 9,450 | +8.9% |
| 2000 | 8,500 | -10.1% |
| 2001 | 10,000 | +17.6% |
| 2002 | 8,700 | -13.0% |
| 2003 | 8,100 | -6.9% |
| 2004 | 5,000 | -38.3% |
| 2005 | 5,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 17,000 | +240.0% |
| 2007 | 17,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5,000 | -70.6% |
| 2009 | 5,745 | +14.9% |
| 2010 | 4,600 | -19.9% |
| 2011 | 5,350 | +16.3% |
| 2012 | 5,310 | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 5,310 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5,310 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5,310 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5,310 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6,000 | +13.0% |
| 2018 | 6,900 | +15.0% |
| 2019 | 6,000 | -13.0% |
| 2020 | 9,000 | +50.0% |
Latvia compared with similar countries
- Latvia's 9,000 is below the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 36% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Latvia's 9,000 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 34% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Latvia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +240.0% | 5,000 | 17,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8,229 | 5,000 | 12,300 | 8 |
| 2000s | 9,004 | 5,000 | 17,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,540 | 4,600 | 6,900 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,000 | 9,000 | 9,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Latvia
More public sector data for Latvia
- 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)
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- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Latvia?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Latvia 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 Latvia?
- The highest recorded value was 17,000 in 2006.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Latvia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,600 in 2010.
- How does Latvia rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Latvia ranks 136th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Latvia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 95.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Latvia 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.