Australia vs Malaysia
Australia vs Malaysia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 60,000 people in Australia and 136,000 people in Malaysia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Malaysia, by 76,000 people, or 2.27 times that in Australia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Malaysia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Australia ranked 64 and Malaysia ranked 45 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Australia | Malaysia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 60,000 | 136,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 59,000 | 136,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 58,100 | 136,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 58,000 | 136,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 57,800 | 133,600 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 57,800 | 133,600 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 56,750 | 133,600 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 56,750 | 133,600 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 56,200 | 133,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 57,050 | 133,600 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 56,550 | 133,600 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 56,550 | 133,600 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 55,000 | 134,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 55,000 | 134,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 51,000 | 134,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 53,000 | 135,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 52,000 | 130,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 53,600 | 124,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 50,900 | 120,100 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 51,700 | 120,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 51,600 | 116,100 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 56,200 | 125,100 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 58,400 | 130,100 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 58,400 | 131,600 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 58,800 | 140,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 57,100 | 140,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 65,000 | 115,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 68,000 | 115,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 68,000 | 128,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 68,000 | 128,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 68,000 | 130,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 70,000 | 115,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 70,400 | 110,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 71,000 | 125,000 | – |
| 1983 | 73,000 | 99,000 | – |
| 1982 | 73,000 | 95,000 | – |
| 1981 | 72,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1980 | 71,000 | 83,000 | – |
| 1979 | 70,000 | 82,000 | – |
| 1978 | 70,000 | 82,000 | – |
| 1977 | 70,000 | 79,000 | – |
| 1976 | 71,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1975 | 70,000 | 76,000 | – |
| 1974 | 68,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1973 | 71,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1972 | 86,000 | 69,000 | – |
| 1971 | 86,000 | 62,000 | – |
| 1970 | 86,000 | 58,000 | – |
| 1969 | 82,000 | 46,000 | – |
| 1968 | 80,000 | 46,000 | – |
| 1967 | 72,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1966 | 59,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1965 | 53,000 | 37,000 | – |
| 1964 | 53,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1963 | 49,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1962 | 49,000 | 46,000 | – |
| 1961 | 46,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1960 | 47,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1959 | 48,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1958 | 46,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1957 | 48,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1956 | 52,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 52,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 54,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 57,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 32,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 33,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 38,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 41,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 61,000 | – | – |
| 1947 | 82,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 103,000 | – | – |
| 1945 | 596,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 680,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 680,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 400,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 82,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 8,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 7,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 6,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 6,000 | – | – |
- 12.3Estimates, Correlates of War
Each country on its own
Good to know
- Active-duty military personnel, with paramilitary forces where they are trained and equipped like soldiers, by the IISS Military Balance.
- Source: IISS, The Military Balance, via the World Bank.
- Before 1985: Correlates of War Project, National Material Capabilities v7.0; Singer, Bremer and Stuckey (1972), “Capability Distribution, Uncertainty, and Major Power War, 1820–1965”, in Bruce Russett (ed.), Peace, War, and Numbers, Sage, 19–48.
- Ranks count the 170 countries with a value in 2020, highest first.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
Australia vs Malaysia
Health
- Life expectancyAustralia: 83.9 years in 2023Malaysia: 76.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityAustralia: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Malaysia: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityAustralia: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Malaysia: 6.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionAustralia: 4.62% in 2017Malaysia: 3.52% in 2017
- Suicide rateAustralia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Malaysia: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationAustralia: 26.5 million people in 2023Malaysia: 35.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthAustralia: 0.99% a year in 2023Malaysia: 1.24% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateAustralia: 1.64 births per woman in 2023Malaysia: 1.55 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationAustralia: 87.7% in 2025Malaysia: 77.4% in 2025
- Median ageAustralia: 37.8 years in 2023Malaysia: 30.1 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overAustralia: 17.4% in 2023Malaysia: 7.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateAustralia: 5.3 per 1,000 people in 2023Malaysia: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingAustralia: 1.92% of GDP in 2025Malaysia: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsAustralia: $35.3B in 2025Malaysia: $4.55B in 2025
- Military spending per personAustralia: $1,316 in 2025Malaysia: $138 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingAustralia: 4.9% of government spending in 2025Malaysia: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerAustralia: 0.6% of world capability in 2022Malaysia: 0.46% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersAustralia: 0.44% of the labour force in 2020Malaysia: 0.81% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsAustralia: 826 million TIV in 2025Malaysia: 7 million TIV in 2024
- Arms exportsAustralia: 108 million TIV in 2025Malaysia: 20 million TIV in 2024