Armed forces personnel, total in Russia
Russia: Armed forces personnel, total was 1.45 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in Russia, 1992–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Russia is 1.45 million, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Russia peaked at 1.90 million in 1992 and was at its lowest, 1.26 million, in 2013.
That places Russia 4th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Russia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1.90 million | — |
| 1993 | 1.50 million | -21.1% |
| 1994 | 1.40 million | -6.7% |
| 1995 | 1.80 million | +28.6% |
| 1996 | 1.62 million | -9.9% |
| 1997 | 1.82 million | +12.4% |
| 1998 | 1.70 million | -6.6% |
| 1999 | 1.48 million | -12.9% |
| 2000 | 1.43 million | -3.7% |
| 2001 | 1.39 million | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 1.40 million | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 1.37 million | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.45 million | +6.0% |
| 2005 | 1.45 million | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.45 million | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 1.48 million | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 1.48 million | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.50 million | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 1.43 million | -4.3% |
| 2011 | 1.36 million | -4.6% |
| 2012 | 1.36 million | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.26 million | -7.6% |
| 2014 | 1.29 million | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 1.49 million | +15.8% |
| 2016 | 1.45 million | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 1.45 million | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 1.45 million | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.45 million | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.45 million | +0.0% |
Russia compared with similar countries
- Russia's 1.45 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 58.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Russia's 1.45 million is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 54.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Russia 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 | +28.6% | 1.40 million | 1.80 million |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.65 million | 1.40 million | 1.90 million | 8 |
| 2000s | 1.44 million | 1.37 million | 1.50 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.40 million | 1.26 million | 1.49 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.45 million | 1.45 million | 1.45 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Russia
More public sector data for Russia
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- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
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Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Russia?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Russia was 1.45 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Russia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.90 million in 1992.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Russia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.26 million in 2013.
- How does Russia rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Russia ranks 4th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Russia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Russia 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.