Armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia
Malaysia: Armed forces personnel, total was 136,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia is 136,000, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia peaked at 140,300 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 110,000, in 1985.
That places Malaysia 45th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 110,000 | — |
| 1989 | 115,000 | +4.5% |
| 1990 | 130,000 | +13.0% |
| 1991 | 128,000 | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 128,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 115,000 | -10.2% |
| 1994 | 115,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 140,300 | +22.0% |
| 1996 | 140,300 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 131,600 | -6.2% |
| 1998 | 130,100 | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 125,100 | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 116,100 | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 120,600 | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 120,100 | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 124,100 | +3.3% |
| 2004 | 130,000 | +4.8% |
| 2005 | 135,000 | +3.8% |
| 2006 | 134,000 | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 134,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 134,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 133,600 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 133,600 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 133,600 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 133,600 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 133,600 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 133,600 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 133,600 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 133,600 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 136,000 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 136,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 136,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 136,000 | +0.0% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 136,000 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 2.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 136,000 is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 146,500, 93% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 112,500 | 110,000 | 115,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 128,340 | 115,000 | 140,300 | 10 |
| 2000s | 128,150 | 116,100 | 135,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 134,320 | 133,600 | 136,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 136,000 | 136,000 | 136,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
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Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Malaysia was 136,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 140,300 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 110,000 in 1985.
- How does Malaysia rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Malaysia ranks 45th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.