Armed forces personnel, total in Pakistan
Pakistan: Armed forces personnel, total was 943,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Pakistan, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Pakistan is 943,000, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Pakistan peaked at 947,800 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 482,800, in 1985.
Pakistan ranks 6th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 482,800 | — |
| 1989 | 520,000 | +7.7% |
| 1990 | 550,000 | +5.8% |
| 1991 | 565,000 | +2.7% |
| 1992 | 580,000 | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 580,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 580,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 846,000 | +45.9% |
| 1996 | 835,000 | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 834,000 | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 834,000 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 834,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 900,000 | +7.9% |
| 2001 | 908,000 | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 909,000 | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 909,000 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 921,000 | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 921,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 923,000 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 921,000 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 921,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 921,000 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 946,000 | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 946,000 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 947,800 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 947,800 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 925,800 | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 935,800 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 935,800 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 936,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 944,800 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 943,000 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 943,000 | +0.0% |
Pakistan compared with similar countries
- Pakistan's 943,000 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 41.0× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Pakistan's 943,000 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 80,000, 11.8× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Pakistan 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 | +45.9% | 580,000 | 846,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 501,400 | 482,800 | 520,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 703,800 | 550,000 | 846,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 915,400 | 900,000 | 923,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 940,880 | 925,800 | 947,800 | 10 |
| 2020s | 943,000 | 943,000 | 943,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More public sector data for Pakistan
- Democracy, 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)
- 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)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 3 (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 Pakistan?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Pakistan was 943,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 947,800 in 2012.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 482,800 in 1985.
- How does Pakistan rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Pakistan ranks 6th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.