Armed forces personnel, total in Middle income
Middle income: Armed forces personnel, total was 17.48 million in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Middle income, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Middle income stood at 17.48 million.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Middle income peaked at 17.90 million in 1996 and was at its lowest, 12.43 million, in 1994.
That places Middle income 4th out of 46 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Middle income, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 12.74 million | — |
| 1989 | 14.04 million | +10.1% |
| 1990 | 13.56 million | -3.4% |
| 1991 | 12.56 million | -7.3% |
| 1992 | 12.88 million | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 12.63 million | -1.9% |
| 1994 | 12.43 million | -1.6% |
| 1995 | 17.55 million | +41.3% |
| 1996 | 17.90 million | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 17.45 million | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 17.67 million | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 17.53 million | -0.8% |
| 2000 | 17.61 million | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 17.28 million | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 17.26 million | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 17.35 million | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 16.52 million | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 17.68 million | +7.0% |
| 2006 | 17.36 million | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 16.72 million | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 16.93 million | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 17.24 million | +1.8% |
| 2010 | 17.29 million | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 17.41 million | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 17.53 million | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 16.80 million | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 17.06 million | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 17.03 million | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 17.16 million | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 17.27 million | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 17.55 million | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 17.52 million | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 17.48 million | -0.2% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Middle income 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 | +41.3% | 12.43 million | 17.55 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.39 million | 12.74 million | 14.04 million | 2 |
| 1990s | 15.21 million | 12.43 million | 17.90 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.19 million | 16.52 million | 17.68 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.26 million | 16.80 million | 17.55 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.48 million | 17.48 million | 17.48 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Middle income
More public sector data for Middle income
- Arms imports 11.09 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 1.85 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0003 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -22.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 11.09 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 113.52 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0174 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 6.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 678.38 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 224.76 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Middle income?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Middle income was 17.48 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Middle income?
- The highest recorded value was 17.90 million in 1996.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Middle income?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.43 million in 1994.
- How does Middle income rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Middle income ranks 4th out of 46 groups with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Middle income?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Middle income 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.