Armed forces personnel, total in Vietnam
Vietnam: Armed forces personnel, total was 522,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total in Vietnam, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total in Vietnam is 522,000, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total in Vietnam peaked at 1.25 million in 1989 and was at its lowest, 495,000, in 2005.
Vietnam ranks 12th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total in Vietnam, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1.03 million | — |
| 1989 | 1.25 million | +21.7% |
| 1990 | 1.05 million | -16.0% |
| 1991 | 1.04 million | -1.0% |
| 1992 | 857,000 | -17.6% |
| 1993 | 857,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 700,000 | -18.3% |
| 1995 | 622,000 | -11.1% |
| 1996 | 622,000 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 557,000 | -10.5% |
| 1998 | 524,000 | -5.9% |
| 1999 | 524,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 524,000 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 524,000 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 524,000 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 524,000 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 495,000 | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 495,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 495,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 495,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 495,000 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 522,000 | +5.5% |
| 2011 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 522,000 | +0.0% |
Vietnam compared with similar countries
- Vietnam's 522,000 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 8.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Vietnam's 522,000 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 146,500, 3.6× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.14 million | 1.03 million | 1.25 million | 2 |
| 1990s | 735,300 | 524,000 | 1.05 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 507,889 | 495,000 | 524,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 522,000 | 522,000 | 522,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 522,000 | 522,000 | 522,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Vietnam
More public sector data for Vietnam
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, 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)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Democracy 1 (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 Vietnam?
- Armed forces personnel, total in Vietnam was 522,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Vietnam?
- The highest recorded value was 1.25 million in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total recorded in Vietnam?
- The lowest recorded value was 495,000 in 2005.
- How does Vietnam rank for armed forces personnel, total?
- Vietnam ranks 12th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total rising or falling in Vietnam?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Vietnam 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.