Armed forces personnel, total in Sweden
Sweden: Armed forces personnel, total was 15,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel, total in Sweden, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in Sweden stood at 15,000. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
That represents a change of down 29.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Sweden peaked at 99,600 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 15,000, in 2019.
That places Sweden 117th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel, total in Sweden, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 65,700 | — |
| 1989 | 62,000 | -5.6% |
| 1990 | 65,000 | +4.8% |
| 1991 | 63,000 | -3.1% |
| 1992 | 70,000 | +11.1% |
| 1993 | 70,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 70,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 99,600 | +42.3% |
| 1996 | 98,200 | -1.4% |
| 1997 | 88,950 | -9.4% |
| 1998 | 88,700 | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 88,700 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 88,300 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 69,500 | -21.3% |
| 2002 | 69,500 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 63,200 | -9.1% |
| 2004 | 27,600 | -56.3% |
| 2005 | 28,600 | +3.6% |
| 2006 | 24,600 | -14.0% |
| 2007 | 17,600 | -28.5% |
| 2008 | 17,600 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 21,870 | +24.3% |
| 2010 | 21,163 | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 21,300 | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 16,100 | -24.4% |
| 2013 | 16,100 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 30,550 | +89.8% |
| 2015 | 30,550 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 30,550 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 30,000 | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 15,150 | -49.5% |
| 2019 | 15,000 | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 15,000 | +0.0% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 15,000 is below the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 60% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 15,000 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 57% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total in Sweden 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | +89.8% | 16,100 | 30,550 |
| 2004 | -56.3% | 63,200 | 27,600 |
| 2018 | -49.5% | 30,000 | 15,150 |
| 1995 | +42.3% | 70,000 | 99,600 |
| 2007 | -28.5% | 24,600 | 17,600 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 63,850 | 62,000 | 65,700 | 2 |
| 1990s | 80,215 | 63,000 | 99,600 | 10 |
| 2000s | 42,837 | 17,600 | 88,300 | 10 |
| 2010s | 22,646 | 15,000 | 30,550 | 10 |
| 2020s | 15,000 | 15,000 | 15,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sweden
More public sector data for Sweden
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Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in Sweden?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Sweden was 15,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Sweden?
- The highest recorded value was 99,600 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Sweden?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,000 in 2019.
- How does Sweden rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Sweden ranks 117th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Sweden?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sweden 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.