Bulgaria vs Türkiye
Bulgaria vs Türkiye: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 37,000 people in Bulgaria and 512,000 people in Türkiye, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Türkiye, by 475,000 people, or 14 times that in Bulgaria.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Türkiye 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 | Bulgaria | Türkiye | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 37,000 | 512,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 37,000 | 512,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 36,950 | 512,200 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 31,000 | 512,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 31,300 | 512,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 47,300 | 512,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 47,300 | 612,800 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 47,300 | 612,800 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 47,300 | 612,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 47,300 | 612,800 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 65,320 | 612,800 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 65,320 | 612,800 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 75,000 | 613,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 75,000 | 612,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 75,000 | 612,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 85,000 | 617,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 85,000 | 616,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 85,000 | 664,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 102,400 | 664,800 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 111,300 | 665,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 113,800 | 827,700 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 114,800 | 841,200 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 135,500 | 821,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 135,500 | 821,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 137,500 | 707,200 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 135,900 | 690,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 80,000 | 811,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 52,000 | 686,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 99,000 | 704,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 107,000 | 804,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 129,000 | 769,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 150,000 | 780,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 148,500 | 630,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 189,000 | 815,000 | – |
| 1983 | 189,000 | 824,000 | – |
| 1982 | 188,000 | 769,000 | – |
| 1981 | 188,000 | 741,000 | – |
| 1980 | 188,000 | 717,000 | – |
| 1979 | 187,000 | 698,000 | – |
| 1978 | 187,000 | 721,000 | – |
| 1977 | 186,000 | 771,000 | – |
| 1976 | 177,000 | 674,000 | – |
| 1975 | 175,000 | 584,000 | – |
| 1974 | 174,000 | 574,000 | – |
| 1973 | 177,000 | 563,000 | – |
| 1972 | 189,000 | 610,000 | – |
| 1971 | 189,000 | 610,000 | – |
| 1970 | 175,000 | 540,000 | – |
| 1969 | 175,000 | 545,000 | – |
| 1968 | 175,000 | 535,000 | – |
| 1967 | 176,000 | 530,000 | – |
| 1966 | 176,000 | 510,000 | – |
| 1965 | 178,000 | 490,000 | – |
| 1964 | 178,000 | 480,000 | – |
| 1963 | 183,000 | 475,000 | – |
| 1962 | 135,000 | 420,000 | – |
| 1961 | 132,000 | 400,000 | – |
| 1960 | 118,000 | 435,000 | – |
| 1959 | 143,000 | 460,000 | – |
| 1958 | 167,000 | 460,000 | – |
| 1957 | 192,000 | 449,000 | – |
| 1956 | 191,000 | 437,000 | – |
| 1955 | 213,000 | 425,000 | – |
| 1954 | 213,000 | 413,000 | – |
| 1953 | 187,000 | 436,000 | – |
| 1952 | 190,000 | 533,000 | – |
| 1951 | 200,000 | 531,000 | – |
| 1950 | 209,000 | 684,000 | – |
| 1949 | 183,000 | 669,000 | – |
| 1948 | 157,000 | 689,000 | – |
| 1947 | 131,000 | 689,000 | – |
| 1946 | 106,000 | 689,000 | – |
| 1945 | 39,000 | 514,000 | – |
| 1944 | 450,000 | 513,000 | – |
| 1943 | – | 513,000 | – |
| 1942 | – | 513,000 | – |
| 1941 | – | 513,000 | – |
| 1940 | 163,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 48,000 | 148,000 | – |
| 1938 | 20,000 | 211,000 | – |
| 1937 | 20,000 | 211,000 | – |
| 1936 | 20,000 | 211,000 | – |
| 1935 | 20,000 | 211,000 | – |
| 1934 | 20,000 | 203,000 | – |
| 1933 | 20,000 | 149,000 | – |
| 1932 | 20,000 | 149,000 | – |
| 1931 | 20,000 | 145,000 | – |
| 1930 | 20,000 | 149,000 | – |
| 1929 | 20,000 | 129,000 | – |
| 1928 | 20,000 | 129,000 | – |
| 1927 | 20,000 | 99,000 | – |
| 1926 | 20,000 | 129,000 | – |
| 1925 | 20,000 | 129,000 | – |
| 1924 | 20,000 | 129,000 | – |
| 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 Türkiye
Health
- Life expectancyBulgaria: 75.6 years in 2023Türkiye: 77.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalityBulgaria: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Türkiye: 1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityBulgaria: 4.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Türkiye: 9.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionBulgaria: 2.54% in 2017Türkiye: 3.72% in 2017
- Suicide rateBulgaria: 9.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Türkiye: 3.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationBulgaria: 6.8 million people in 2023Türkiye: 87.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthBulgaria: -0.52% a year in 2023Türkiye: 0.23% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateBulgaria: 1.75 births per woman in 2023Türkiye: 1.63 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationBulgaria: 74.2% in 2025Türkiye: 89.5% in 2025
- Median ageBulgaria: 44.3 years in 2023Türkiye: 32.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overBulgaria: 21.8% in 2023Türkiye: 10% in 2023
- Net migration rateBulgaria: 0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023Türkiye: -3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingBulgaria: 2.01% of GDP in 2025Türkiye: 1.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsBulgaria: $2.4B in 2025Türkiye: $26.8B in 2025
- Military spending per personBulgaria: $384 in 2025Türkiye: $342 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingBulgaria: 5.2% of government spending in 2025Türkiye: 5.9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerBulgaria: 0.09% of world capability in 2022Türkiye: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersBulgaria: 1.18% of the labour force in 2020Türkiye: 1.61% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsBulgaria: 540 million TIV in 2025Türkiye: 381 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsBulgaria: 33 million TIV in 2024Türkiye: 539 million TIV in 2025