Bulgaria vs North Macedonia
Bulgaria vs North Macedonia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 37,000 people in Bulgaria and 16,000 people in North Macedonia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Bulgaria, by 21,000 people, or 2.31 times that in North Macedonia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Bulgaria has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1992.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Bulgaria | North Macedonia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 37,000 | 16,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 37,000 | 16,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 36,950 | 16,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 31,000 | 16,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 31,300 | 15,600 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 47,300 | 15,600 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 47,300 | 8,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 47,300 | 8,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 47,300 | 8,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 47,300 | 8,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 65,320 | 8,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 65,320 | 8,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 75,000 | 19,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 75,000 | 19,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 75,000 | 19,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 85,000 | 19,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 85,000 | 17,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 85,000 | 20,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 102,400 | 19,900 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 111,300 | 26,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 113,800 | 23,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 114,800 | 23,500 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 135,500 | 27,500 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 135,500 | 22,900 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 137,500 | 17,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 135,900 | 17,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 80,000 | 10,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 52,000 | 10,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 99,000 | 10,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 107,000 | – | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 129,000 | – | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 150,000 | – | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 148,500 | – | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 189,000 | – | – |
| 1983 | 189,000 | – | – |
| 1982 | 188,000 | – | – |
| 1981 | 188,000 | – | – |
| 1980 | 188,000 | – | – |
| 1979 | 187,000 | – | – |
| 1978 | 187,000 | – | – |
| 1977 | 186,000 | – | – |
| 1976 | 177,000 | – | – |
| 1975 | 175,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 174,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 177,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 189,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 189,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 175,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 175,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 175,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 176,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 176,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 178,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 178,000 | – | – |
| 1963 | 183,000 | – | – |
| 1962 | 135,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 132,000 | – | – |
| 1960 | 118,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 143,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 167,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 192,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 191,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 213,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 213,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 187,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 190,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 200,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 209,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 183,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 157,000 | – | – |
| 1947 | 131,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 106,000 | – | – |
| 1945 | 39,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 450,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 163,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 48,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1919 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1918 | 857,000 | – | – |
| 1917 | 38,000 | – | – |
| 1916 | 800,000 | – | – |
| 1915 | 49,000 | – | – |
| 1914 | 52,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 592,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 61,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 61,000 | – | – |
| 1910 | 58,000 | – | – |
| 1909 | 60,000 | – | – |
| 1908 | 59,000 | – | – |
- 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
Bulgaria vs North Macedonia
Health
- Life expectancyBulgaria: 75.6 years in 2023North Macedonia: 77.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBulgaria: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024North Macedonia: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBulgaria: 4.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023North Macedonia: 4.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBulgaria: 95.7% in 2022North Macedonia: 80.5% in 2022
- DepressionBulgaria: 2.54% in 2017North Macedonia: 2.33% in 2017
- Suicide rateBulgaria: 9.5 per 100,000 people in 2017North Macedonia: 6.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBulgaria: 6.8 million people in 2023North Macedonia: 1.83 million people in 2023
- Population growthBulgaria: -0.52% a year in 2023North Macedonia: -0.47% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBulgaria: 1.75 births per woman in 2023North Macedonia: 1.47 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBulgaria: 74.2% in 2025North Macedonia: 62.9% in 2025
- Median ageBulgaria: 44.3 years in 2023North Macedonia: 40.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBulgaria: 21.8% in 2023North Macedonia: 17.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateBulgaria: 0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023North Macedonia: -3.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personBulgaria: $10,450 in 2025North Macedonia: $6,873 in 2025
- GDP growthBulgaria: 3.1% a year in 2025North Macedonia: 3.5% a year in 2025
- InflationBulgaria: 3.5% a year in 2025North Macedonia: 4.1% a year in 2025
- Government debtBulgaria: 29.9% of GDP in 2025North Macedonia: 52.6% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBulgaria: 2.01% of GDP in 2025North Macedonia: 1.97% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBulgaria: $2.4B in 2025North Macedonia: $346M in 2025
- Military spending per personBulgaria: $384 in 2025North Macedonia: $206 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBulgaria: 5.2% of government spending in 2025North Macedonia: 5.1% of government spending in 2025
- National powerBulgaria: 0.09% of world capability in 2022North Macedonia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBulgaria: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020North Macedonia: 2% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBulgaria: 540 million TIV in 2025North Macedonia: 9 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBulgaria: 33 million TIV in 2024North Macedonia: 59 million TIV in 2023