Armed forces personnel, total in North America
North America: Armed forces personnel, total was 1.47 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in North America, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in North America stood at 1.47 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in North America peaked at 2.33 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.41 million, in 2015.
That places North America 37th out of 46 groups 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.28 million | 2.23 million | 2.33 million | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.84 million | 1.61 million | 2.27 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.57 million | 1.49 million | 1.63 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.49 million | 1.41 million | 1.64 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.47 million | 1.47 million | 1.47 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near North America
More public sector data for North America
- Arms imports 1.36 billion SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Tax revenue 11.0% (2024)
- Taxes on income, profits and capital gains 55.1% (2024)
- Taxes on goods and services 7.9% (2024)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets 1.4% (2024)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) -6.7% (2024)
- Interest payments 14.3% (2024)
- Grants and other revenue 5.4% (2024)
- Interest payments 10.3% (2023)
- Other taxes 0.6% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in North America?
- Armed forces personnel, total in North America was 1.47 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 2.33 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.41 million in 2015.
- How does North America rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- North America ranks 37th out of 46 groups with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this North America 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.