Armed forces personnel, total in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Armed forces personnel, total was 317,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel, total in Sri Lanka, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Sri Lanka is 317,000, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 42.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Sri Lanka peaked at 317,000 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 21,600, in 1985.
Sri Lanka ranks 22nd of 173 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 21,800 | 21,600 | 22,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 159,340 | 22,000 | 235,500 | 10 |
| 2000s | 220,170 | 200,000 | 246,500 | 10 |
| 2010s | 263,690 | 223,100 | 317,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 317,000 | 317,000 | 317,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More public sector data for Sri Lanka
- Arms imports 9.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Tax revenue 9.9% (2023)
- Taxes on income, profits and capital gains 29.6% (2023)
- Taxes on goods and services 46.1% (2023)
- Net investment in nonfinancial assets 2.4% (2023)
- Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) -9.2% (2023)
- Interest payments 79.9% (2023)
- Grants and other revenue 10.3% (2023)
- Interest payments 49.4% (2023)
- Other taxes 0.0% (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Sri Lanka?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Sri Lanka was 317,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 317,000 in 2017.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 21,600 in 1985.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Sri Lanka ranks 22nd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.