Based on a comparison of 164 countries in 2020, India ranked the highest in armed forces personnel with 3,068 '000 followed by China and Dem. People's Republic of Korea. On the other end of the scale was Seychelles with 0.420 '000, Equatorial Guinea with 1.00 '000 and Luxembourg with 1.00 '000.
Total armed forces personnel reached 27,406 '000 in 2020 in the World according to the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database. This is 0.967 % less than in the previous year and -2.66 % less than 10 years ago.
Historically, total armed forces personnel reached an all time high of 30,197 '000 in 1996 and an all time low of 22,209 '000 in 1985. The average annual growth amounted to 0.659 % since 1985.
The top ranked country, India, accounted for 11.2 % of armed forces personnel in the world. The top 3 countries hold a 25.8 % share while the ten largest countries some 50.3 % in 2020.
Data for more countries are available at Armed Forces Personnel (Total) indicator page.
| Armed Forces Personnel (Total) | Unit | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Brazil | '000 | 730 | 730 | 730 | 730 | 762 | ||||||||||||||||
| China | '000 | 2,993 | 2,843 | 2,695 | 2,695 | 2,695 | ||||||||||||||||
| Egypt | '000 | 836 | 836 | 836 | 836 | 836 | ||||||||||||||||
| India | '000 | 2,750 | 2,799 | 2,981 | 3,031 | 3,027 | ||||||||||||||||
| Indonesia | '000 | 677 | 676 | 676 | 676 | 676 | ||||||||||||||||
| Iran | '000 | 563 | 563 | 563 | 563 | 650 | ||||||||||||||||
| Iraq | '000 | 209 | 209 | 209 | 209 | 336 | ||||||||||||||||
| Myanmar | '000 | 513 | 513 | 513 | 513 | 513 | ||||||||||||||||
| North Korea | '000 | 1,379 | 1,379 | 1,469 | 1,469 | 1,469 | ||||||||||||||||
| Pakistan | '000 | 926 | 936 | 936 | 936 | 945 | ||||||||||||||||
| Russia | '000 | 1,287 | 1,490 | 1,454 | 1,454 | 1,454 | ||||||||||||||||
| South Korea | '000 | 633 | 635 | 634 | 634 | 608 | ||||||||||||||||
| Turkey | '000 | 613 | 512 | 512 | 512 | 512 | ||||||||||||||||
| USA | '000 | 1,381 | 1,347 | 1,348 | 1,359 | 1,380 | ||||||||||||||||
| Vietnam | '000 | ... | 522 | 522 | 522 | 522 | 522 |
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