Bulgaria vs Romania
Bulgaria vs Romania: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 37,000 people in Bulgaria and 128,000 people in Romania, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Romania, by 91,000 people, or 3.46 times that in Bulgaria.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Romania has been higher since 1991, when it overtook Bulgaria.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Bulgaria | Romania | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 37,000 | 128,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 37,000 | 126,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 36,950 | 126,600 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 31,000 | 126,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 31,300 | 149,200 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 47,300 | 150,400 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 47,300 | 151,300 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 47,300 | 151,300 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 47,300 | 151,300 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 47,300 | 151,300 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 65,320 | 153,800 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 65,320 | 151,600 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 75,000 | 153,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 75,000 | 153,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 75,000 | 154,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 85,000 | 177,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 85,000 | 176,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 85,000 | 177,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 102,400 | 179,100 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 111,300 | 178,900 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 113,800 | 282,900 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 114,800 | 282,900 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 135,500 | 295,600 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 135,500 | 306,100 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 137,500 | 307,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 135,900 | 296,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 80,000 | 200,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 52,000 | 200,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 99,000 | 172,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 107,000 | 201,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 129,000 | 126,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 150,000 | 207,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 148,500 | 189,500 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 189,000 | 236,000 | – |
| 1983 | 189,000 | 232,000 | – |
| 1982 | 188,000 | 213,000 | – |
| 1981 | 188,000 | 212,000 | – |
| 1980 | 188,000 | 211,000 | – |
| 1979 | 187,000 | 210,000 | – |
| 1978 | 187,000 | 209,000 | – |
| 1977 | 186,000 | 208,000 | – |
| 1976 | 177,000 | 220,000 | – |
| 1975 | 175,000 | 220,000 | – |
| 1974 | 174,000 | 218,000 | – |
| 1973 | 177,000 | 192,000 | – |
| 1972 | 189,000 | 218,000 | – |
| 1971 | 189,000 | 218,000 | – |
| 1970 | 175,000 | 211,000 | – |
| 1969 | 175,000 | 190,000 | – |
| 1968 | 175,000 | 190,000 | – |
| 1967 | 176,000 | 190,000 | – |
| 1966 | 176,000 | 212,000 | – |
| 1965 | 178,000 | 258,000 | – |
| 1964 | 178,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1963 | 183,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1962 | 135,000 | 304,000 | – |
| 1961 | 132,000 | 312,000 | – |
| 1960 | 118,000 | 227,000 | – |
| 1959 | 143,000 | 216,000 | – |
| 1958 | 167,000 | 205,000 | – |
| 1957 | 192,000 | 194,000 | – |
| 1956 | 191,000 | 233,000 | – |
| 1955 | 213,000 | 272,000 | – |
| 1954 | 213,000 | 272,000 | – |
| 1953 | 187,000 | 271,000 | – |
| 1952 | 190,000 | 270,000 | – |
| 1951 | 200,000 | 269,000 | – |
| 1950 | 209,000 | 218,000 | – |
| 1949 | 183,000 | 167,000 | – |
| 1948 | 157,000 | 166,000 | – |
| 1947 | 131,000 | 140,000 | – |
| 1946 | 106,000 | 114,000 | – |
| 1945 | 39,000 | 119,000 | – |
| 1944 | 450,000 | 975,000 | – |
| 1940 | 163,000 | 815,000 | – |
| 1939 | 48,000 | 148,000 | – |
| 1938 | 20,000 | 169,000 | – |
| 1937 | 20,000 | 177,000 | – |
| 1936 | 20,000 | 137,000 | – |
| 1935 | 20,000 | 142,000 | – |
| 1934 | 20,000 | 147,000 | – |
| 1933 | 20,000 | 147,000 | – |
| 1932 | 20,000 | 142,000 | – |
| 1931 | 20,000 | 180,000 | – |
| 1930 | 20,000 | 192,000 | – |
| 1929 | 20,000 | 191,000 | – |
| 1928 | 20,000 | 191,000 | – |
| 1927 | 20,000 | 155,000 | – |
| 1926 | 20,000 | 145,000 | – |
| 1925 | 20,000 | 144,000 | – |
| 1924 | 20,000 | 150,000 | – |
| 1923 | 20,000 | 203,000 | – |
| 1922 | 20,000 | 233,000 | – |
| 1921 | 20,000 | 253,000 | – |
| 1920 | 20,000 | 252,000 | – |
| 1919 | 20,000 | 292,000 | – |
| 1918 | 857,000 | 269,000 | – |
| 1917 | 38,000 | 247,000 | – |
| 1916 | 800,000 | 211,000 | – |
| 1915 | 49,000 | 189,000 | – |
| 1914 | 52,000 | 145,000 | – |
| 1913 | 592,000 | 109,000 | – |
| 1912 | 61,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1911 | 61,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1910 | 58,000 | 89,000 | – |
| 1909 | 60,000 | 104,000 | – |
| 1908 | 59,000 | 90,000 | – |
| 1907 | – | 69,000 | – |
| 1906 | – | 70,000 | – |
| 1905 | – | 66,000 | – |
| 1904 | – | 65,000 | – |
| 1903 | – | 66,000 | – |
| 1902 | – | 66,000 | – |
| 1901 | – | 53,000 | – |
| 1900 | – | 63,000 | – |
| 1899 | – | 67,000 | – |
| 1898 | – | 62,000 | – |
| 1897 | – | 60,000 | – |
| 1896 | – | 61,000 | – |
| 1895 | – | 47,000 | – |
| 1894 | – | 47,000 | – |
| 1893 | – | 51,000 | – |
| 1892 | – | 51,000 | – |
| 1891 | – | 40,000 | – |
| 1890 | – | 49,000 | – |
| 1889 | – | 41,000 | – |
| 1888 | – | 37,000 | – |
| 1887 | – | 36,000 | – |
| 1886 | – | 34,000 | – |
| 1885 | – | 34,000 | – |
| 1884 | – | 35,000 | – |
| 1883 | – | 36,000 | – |
| 1882 | – | 21,000 | – |
| 1881 | – | 21,000 | – |
| 1880 | – | 21,000 | – |
| 1879 | – | 17,000 | – |
| 1878 | – | 16,000 | – |
- 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 Romania
Health
- Life expectancyBulgaria: 75.6 years in 2023Romania: 75.9 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBulgaria: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Romania: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBulgaria: 4.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Romania: 4.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterBulgaria: 95.7% in 2022Romania: 82.1% in 2022
- DepressionBulgaria: 2.54% in 2017Romania: 2.36% in 2017
- Suicide rateBulgaria: 9.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Romania: 9.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBulgaria: 6.8 million people in 2023Romania: 19.1 million people in 2023
- Population growthBulgaria: -0.52% a year in 2023Romania: -0.53% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBulgaria: 1.75 births per woman in 2023Romania: 1.71 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBulgaria: 74.2% in 2025Romania: 52.2% in 2025
- Median ageBulgaria: 44.3 years in 2023Romania: 42.6 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBulgaria: 21.8% in 2023Romania: 19.8% in 2023
- Net migration rateBulgaria: 0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023Romania: -1.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBulgaria: 2.01% of GDP in 2025Romania: 2.28% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBulgaria: $2.4B in 2025Romania: $8.81B in 2025
- Military spending per personBulgaria: $384 in 2025Romania: $513 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBulgaria: 5.2% of government spending in 2025Romania: 5.6% of government spending in 2025
- National powerBulgaria: 0.09% of world capability in 2022Romania: 0.23% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBulgaria: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020Romania: 1.52% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBulgaria: 540 million TIV in 2025Romania: 421 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBulgaria: 33 million TIV in 2024Romania: 132 million TIV in 2025