Belgium vs United States
Belgium vs United States: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 24,000 people in Belgium and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in United States, by 1.37 million people, or 58 times that in Belgium.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Belgium | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 24,000 | 1.4 million | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 26,000 | 1.39 million | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 31,500 | 1.38 million | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 32,000 | 1.36 million | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 33,800 | 1.35 million | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 36,350 | 1.35 million | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 37,600 | 1.38 million | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 37,500 | 1.43 million | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 30,700 | 1.49 million | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 34,050 | 1.52 million | 28 million |
| 2010 | 35,740 | 1.57 million | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 39,480 | 1.56 million | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 39,000 | 1.54 million | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 39,000 | 1.56 million | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 40,000 | 1.5 million | 27 million |
| 2005 | 37,000 | 1.55 million | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 36,000 | 1.47 million | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 40,800 | 1.48 million | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 39,200 | 1.47 million | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 39,400 | 1.42 million | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 39,300 | 1.46 million | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 41,750 | 1.58 million | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 43,700 | 1.59 million | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 44,450 | 1.53 million | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 46,300 | 1.57 million | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 47,200 | 1.64 million | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 53,000 | 1.72 million | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 70,000 | 1.82 million | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 79,000 | 1.92 million | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 101,000 | 2.12 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 106,000 | 2.18 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 110,000 | 2.24 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 91,600 | 2.15 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 107,000 | 2.22 million | – |
| 1983 | 109,000 | 2.2 million | – |
| 1982 | 109,000 | 2.17 million | – |
| 1981 | 110,000 | 2.1 million | – |
| 1980 | 108,000 | 2.05 million | – |
| 1979 | 107,000 | 2.03 million | – |
| 1978 | 109,000 | 2.06 million | – |
| 1977 | 107,000 | 2.06 million | – |
| 1976 | 103,000 | 2.08 million | – |
| 1975 | 103,000 | 2.1 million | – |
| 1974 | 105,000 | 2.15 million | – |
| 1973 | 107,000 | 2.21 million | – |
| 1972 | 105,000 | 2.32 million | – |
| 1971 | 110,000 | 2.72 million | – |
| 1970 | 110,000 | 3.07 million | – |
| 1969 | 115,000 | 3.46 million | – |
| 1968 | 115,000 | 3.55 million | – |
| 1967 | 115,000 | 3.38 million | – |
| 1966 | 115,000 | 3.09 million | – |
| 1965 | 115,000 | 2.66 million | – |
| 1964 | 115,000 | 2.69 million | – |
| 1963 | 115,000 | 2.7 million | – |
| 1962 | 110,000 | 2.81 million | – |
| 1961 | 110,000 | 2.31 million | – |
| 1960 | 110,000 | 2.31 million | – |
| 1959 | 108,000 | 2.33 million | – |
| 1958 | 106,000 | 2.41 million | – |
| 1957 | 101,000 | 2.8 million | – |
| 1956 | 98,000 | 2.81 million | – |
| 1955 | 94,000 | 2.94 million | – |
| 1954 | 91,000 | 3.3 million | – |
| 1953 | 86,000 | 3.56 million | – |
| 1952 | 81,000 | 3.64 million | – |
| 1951 | 77,000 | 3.25 million | – |
| 1950 | 74,000 | 1.46 million | – |
| 1949 | 70,000 | 1.62 million | – |
| 1948 | 71,000 | 1.45 million | – |
| 1947 | 75,000 | 1.58 million | – |
| 1946 | 79,000 | 3.03 million | – |
| 1945 | 80,000 | 12.1 million | – |
| 1944 | – | 11.5 million | – |
| 1943 | – | 9.05 million | – |
| 1942 | – | 3.86 million | – |
| 1941 | – | 1.8 million | – |
| 1940 | 82,000 | 458,000 | – |
| 1939 | 85,000 | 334,000 | – |
| 1938 | 90,000 | 323,000 | – |
| 1937 | 72,000 | 312,000 | – |
| 1936 | 67,000 | 291,000 | – |
| 1935 | 68,000 | 252,000 | – |
| 1934 | 68,000 | 247,000 | – |
| 1933 | 66,000 | 244,000 | – |
| 1932 | 67,000 | 245,000 | – |
| 1931 | 66,000 | 253,000 | – |
| 1930 | 69,000 | 256,000 | – |
| 1929 | 67,000 | 255,000 | – |
| 1928 | 65,000 | 251,000 | – |
| 1927 | 66,000 | 249,000 | – |
| 1926 | 83,000 | 247,000 | – |
| 1925 | 82,000 | 252,000 | – |
| 1924 | 82,000 | 261,000 | – |
| 1923 | 133,000 | 247,000 | – |
| 1922 | 117,000 | 270,000 | – |
| 1921 | 100,000 | 387,000 | – |
| 1920 | 156,000 | 343,000 | – |
| 1919 | 212,000 | 1.17 million | – |
| 1918 | 209,000 | 2.9 million | – |
| 1917 | 194,000 | 644,000 | – |
| 1916 | 189,000 | 179,000 | – |
| 1915 | 156,000 | 174,000 | – |
| 1914 | 115,000 | 166,000 | – |
| 1913 | 48,000 | 155,000 | – |
| 1912 | 47,000 | 153,000 | – |
| 1911 | 47,000 | 145,000 | – |
| 1910 | 48,000 | 139,000 | – |
| 1909 | 46,000 | 142,000 | – |
| 1908 | 46,000 | 129,000 | – |
| 1907 | 44,000 | 108,000 | – |
| 1906 | 44,000 | 112,000 | – |
| 1905 | 44,000 | 108,000 | – |
| 1904 | 44,000 | 110,000 | – |
| 1903 | 46,000 | 106,000 | – |
| 1902 | 49,000 | 111,000 | – |
| 1901 | 48,000 | 112,000 | – |
| 1900 | 51,000 | 126,000 | – |
| 1899 | 49,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1898 | 47,000 | 236,000 | – |
| 1897 | 49,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1896 | 48,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1895 | 47,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1894 | 47,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1893 | 47,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1892 | 51,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1891 | 49,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1890 | 45,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1889 | 48,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1888 | 48,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1887 | 45,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1886 | 45,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1885 | 46,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1884 | 47,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1883 | 45,000 | 37,000 | – |
| 1882 | 46,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1881 | 46,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1880 | 46,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1879 | 46,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1878 | 46,000 | 36,000 | – |
| 1877 | 46,000 | 34,000 | – |
| 1876 | 46,000 | 41,000 | – |
| 1875 | 43,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1874 | 40,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1873 | 40,000 | 43,000 | – |
| 1872 | 40,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1871 | 40,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1870 | 40,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1869 | 40,000 | 52,000 | – |
| 1868 | 40,000 | 66,000 | – |
| 1867 | 40,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1866 | 40,000 | 77,000 | – |
| 1865 | 40,000 | 1.06 million | – |
| 1864 | 40,000 | 1.03 million | – |
| 1863 | 40,000 | 960,000 | – |
| 1862 | 40,000 | 673,000 | – |
| 1861 | 40,000 | 217,000 | – |
| 1860 | 40,000 | 28,000 | – |
| 1859 | 40,000 | 29,000 | – |
| 1858 | 40,000 | 29,000 | – |
| 1857 | 40,000 | 27,000 | – |
| 1856 | 40,000 | 26,000 | – |
| 1855 | 40,000 | 26,000 | – |
| 1854 | 39,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1853 | 38,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1852 | 37,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1851 | 36,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1850 | 35,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1849 | 34,000 | 23,000 | – |
| 1848 | 33,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1847 | 32,000 | 58,000 | – |
| 1846 | 32,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1845 | 32,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1844 | 32,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1843 | 32,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1842 | 36,000 | 23,000 | – |
| 1841 | 41,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1840 | 45,000 | 22,000 | – |
| 1839 | 50,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1838 | 48,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1837 | 46,000 | 22,000 | – |
| 1836 | 30,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1835 | 30,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1834 | 30,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1833 | 38,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1832 | 46,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1831 | 54,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1830 | 62,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1829 | – | 12,000 | – |
| 1828 | – | 11,000 | – |
| 1827 | – | 12,000 | – |
| 1826 | – | 12,000 | – |
| 1825 | – | 11,000 | – |
| 1824 | – | 11,000 | – |
| 1823 | – | 11,000 | – |
| 1822 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1821 | – | 11,000 | – |
| 1820 | – | 15,000 | – |
| 1819 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1818 | – | 14,000 | – |
| 1817 | – | 15,000 | – |
| 1816 | – | 17,000 | – |
- 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
Belgium vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyBelgium: 82.1 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBelgium: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBelgium: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBelgium: 99.7% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionBelgium: 4.11% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateBelgium: 14.3 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBelgium: 11.7 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthBelgium: 0.25% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBelgium: 1.38 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBelgium: 87.7% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageBelgium: 41.4 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBelgium: 20.2% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateBelgium: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBelgium: 2.01% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBelgium: $13.6B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personBelgium: $1,237 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBelgium: 3.7% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- National powerBelgium: 0.22% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBelgium: 0.47% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBelgium: 430 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBelgium: 86 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025