Armed forces personnel, total in United States
United States: Armed forces personnel, total was 1.40 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in United States, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel, total in United States stood at 1.40 million.
That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and down 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in United States peaked at 2.24 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.35 million, in 2015.
United States ranks 5th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 2.15 million | — |
| 1989 | 2.24 million | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 2.18 million | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 2.12 million | -2.8% |
| 1992 | 1.92 million | -9.4% |
| 1993 | 1.82 million | -5.2% |
| 1994 | 1.72 million | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 1.64 million | -4.9% |
| 1996 | 1.57 million | -3.9% |
| 1997 | 1.53 million | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 1.59 million | +4.0% |
| 1999 | 1.57 million | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 1.45 million | -7.6% |
| 2001 | 1.42 million | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 1.47 million | +3.3% |
| 2003 | 1.48 million | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 1.47 million | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 1.55 million | +5.0% |
| 2006 | 1.50 million | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 1.55 million | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 1.54 million | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 1.56 million | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 1.57 million | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 1.52 million | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 1.49 million | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 1.43 million | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 1.38 million | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 1.35 million | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 1.35 million | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 1.36 million | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 1.38 million | +1.5% |
| 2019 | 1.39 million | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 1.40 million | +0.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 1.40 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 55.8× the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.20 million | 2.15 million | 2.24 million | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.77 million | 1.53 million | 2.18 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.50 million | 1.42 million | 1.56 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.42 million | 1.35 million | 1.57 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.40 million | 1.40 million | 1.40 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States
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Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total in United States?
- Armed forces personnel, total in United States was 1.40 million in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 2.24 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.35 million in 2015.
- How does United States rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- United States ranks 5th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States 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.