Croatia vs Serbia
Croatia vs Serbia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 20,000 people in Croatia and 32,000 people in Serbia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Serbia, by 12,000 people, or 1.6 times that in Croatia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Serbia 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 | Croatia | Serbia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 20,000 | 32,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 18,000 | 32,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 18,200 | 32,150 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 18,000 | 32,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 18,550 | 31,850 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 18,550 | 28,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 19,550 | 28,150 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 19,550 | 28,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 19,550 | 28,150 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 21,600 | 28,150 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 21,600 | 29,130 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 21,600 | 29,130 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 22,000 | 24,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 21,000 | 24,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 21,000 | 24,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 31,000 | 110,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 30,000 | 110,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 30,800 | 109,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 61,000 | 124,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 68,300 | 198,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 101,000 | 135,700 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 101,000 | 146,700 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 96,180 | 152,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 98,000 | 152,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 104,700 | 151,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 150,000 | 164,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 70,000 | 130,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 80,000 | 100,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 103,000 | 137,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | – | 169,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | – | 180,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | – | 225,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | – | – | 22.2 million |
| 1918 | – | 201,000 | – |
| 1917 | – | 156,000 | – |
| 1916 | – | 102,000 | – |
| 1915 | – | 84,000 | – |
| 1914 | – | 41,000 | – |
| 1913 | – | 32,000 | – |
| 1912 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1911 | – | 30,000 | – |
| 1910 | – | 35,000 | – |
| 1909 | – | 36,000 | – |
| 1908 | – | 29,000 | – |
| 1907 | – | 34,000 | – |
| 1906 | – | 28,000 | – |
| 1905 | – | 27,000 | – |
| 1904 | – | 27,000 | – |
| 1903 | – | 26,000 | – |
| 1902 | – | 24,000 | – |
| 1901 | – | 22,000 | – |
| 1900 | – | 22,000 | – |
| 1899 | – | 23,000 | – |
| 1898 | – | 23,000 | – |
| 1897 | – | 22,000 | – |
| 1896 | – | 22,000 | – |
| 1895 | – | 19,000 | – |
| 1894 | – | 17,000 | – |
| 1893 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1892 | – | 12,000 | – |
| 1891 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1890 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1889 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1888 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1887 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1886 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1885 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1884 | – | 18,000 | – |
| 1883 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1882 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1881 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1880 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1879 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1878 | – | 7,000 | – |
- 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 1989: 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
Croatia vs Serbia
Health
- Life expectancyCroatia: 78.6 years in 2023Serbia: 76.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityCroatia: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024Serbia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityCroatia: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023Serbia: 4.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterCroatia: 85.4% in 2007Serbia: 75.1% in 2022
- DepressionCroatia: 2.78% in 2017Serbia: 2.57% in 2017
- Suicide rateCroatia: 11.1 per 100,000 people in 2017Serbia: 12.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationCroatia: 3.9 million people in 2023Serbia: 6.77 million people in 2023
- Population growthCroatia: -0.34% a year in 2023Serbia: -0.44% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateCroatia: 1.47 births per woman in 2023Serbia: 1.5 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationCroatia: 57.8% in 2025Serbia: 62.6% in 2025
- Median ageCroatia: 44.8 years in 2023Serbia: 43.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overCroatia: 22.8% in 2023Serbia: 22.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateCroatia: 2.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Serbia: 0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingCroatia: 2.02% of GDP in 2025Serbia: 2.76% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsCroatia: $1.93B in 2025Serbia: $2.55B in 2025
- Military spending per personCroatia: $544 in 2025Serbia: $414 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingCroatia: 4.1% of government spending in 2025Serbia: 6.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerCroatia: 0.05% of world capability in 2022Serbia: 0.09% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersCroatia: 1.17% of the labour force in 2020Serbia: 1.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsCroatia: 141 million TIV in 2025Serbia: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsCroatia: 53 million TIV in 2024Serbia: 39 million TIV in 2025