Finland vs Norway
Finland vs Norway: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 22,000 people in Finland and 25,000 people in Norway, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Norway, by 3,000 people, or 1.14 times that in Finland.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Norway has been higher since 2020, when it overtook Finland.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Finland | Norway | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 22,000 | 25,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 27,000 | 23,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 25,200 | 23,250 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 25,000 | 23,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 24,200 | 23,950 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 24,900 | 24,950 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 25,000 | 25,800 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 25,000 | 25,800 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 25,000 | 25,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 25,000 | 24,450 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 24,980 | 24,450 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 25,050 | 26,450 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 32,000 | 19,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 32,000 | 19,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 32,000 | 16,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 31,000 | 47,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 31,000 | 25,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 30,100 | 26,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 34,900 | 26,600 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 35,400 | 26,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 35,100 | 27,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 35,100 | 31,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 35,100 | 28,870 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 34,400 | 34,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 36,000 | 30,700 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 34,500 | 30,700 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 35,000 | 33,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 31,000 | 32,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 33,000 | 36,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 32,000 | 41,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 31,000 | 51,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 39,000 | 43,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 36,500 | 37,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 40,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1983 | 40,000 | 41,000 | – |
| 1982 | 36,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1981 | 36,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1980 | 36,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1979 | 36,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1978 | 40,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1977 | 40,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1976 | 36,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1975 | 40,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1974 | 40,000 | 40,000 | – |
| 1973 | 40,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1972 | 40,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1971 | 40,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1970 | 40,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1969 | 40,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1968 | 40,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1967 | 40,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1966 | 40,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1965 | 40,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1964 | 40,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1963 | 35,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1962 | 47,000 | 34,000 | – |
| 1961 | 48,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1960 | 42,000 | 37,000 | – |
| 1959 | 42,000 | 36,000 | – |
| 1958 | 42,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1957 | 42,000 | 34,000 | – |
| 1956 | 42,000 | 34,000 | – |
| 1955 | 42,000 | 33,000 | – |
| 1954 | 42,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1953 | 42,000 | 31,000 | – |
| 1952 | 42,000 | 31,000 | – |
| 1951 | 42,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1950 | 42,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1949 | 42,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1948 | 42,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1947 | 42,000 | 30,000 | – |
| 1946 | 42,000 | 33,000 | – |
| 1945 | 32,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1944 | 350,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 350,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 300,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1939 | 37,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1938 | 36,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1937 | 31,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1936 | 31,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1935 | 31,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1934 | 31,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1933 | 32,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1932 | 29,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1931 | 31,000 | 5,000 | – |
| 1930 | 27,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1929 | 29,000 | 6,000 | – |
| 1928 | 30,000 | 6,000 | – |
| 1927 | 30,000 | 6,000 | – |
| 1926 | 29,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1925 | 32,000 | 6,000 | – |
| 1924 | 31,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1923 | 29,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1922 | 30,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1921 | 35,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1920 | 39,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1919 | 38,000 | 7,000 | – |
| 1918 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1917 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1916 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1915 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1914 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1913 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1912 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1911 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1910 | – | 5,000 | – |
| 1909 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1908 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1907 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1906 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1905 | – | 32,000 | – |
- 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
Finland vs Norway
Health
- Life expectancyFinland: 81.9 years in 2023Norway: 83.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityFinland: 0.2 per 100 live births in 2024Norway: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityFinland: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Norway: 1.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterFinland: 99.6% in 2022Norway: 98.8% in 2022
- DepressionFinland: 4.79% in 2017Norway: 3.77% in 2017
- Suicide rateFinland: 12.9 per 100,000 people in 2017Norway: 9.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationFinland: 5.6 million people in 2023Norway: 5.52 million people in 2023
- Population growthFinland: 0.39% a year in 2023Norway: 1.11% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateFinland: 1.28 births per woman in 2023Norway: 1.41 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationFinland: 74.5% in 2025Norway: 83.6% in 2025
- Median ageFinland: 42.8 years in 2023Norway: 39.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overFinland: 23.6% in 2023Norway: 18.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateFinland: 6.8 per 1,000 people in 2023Norway: 9.7 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingFinland: 2.57% of GDP in 2025Norway: 3.28% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsFinland: $7.61B in 2025Norway: $16.1B in 2025
- Military spending per personFinland: $1,437 in 2025Norway: $3,040 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingFinland: 4.4% of government spending in 2025Norway: 6.7% of government spending in 2025
- National powerFinland: 0.14% of world capability in 2022Norway: 0.14% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersFinland: 0.8% of the labour force in 2020Norway: 0.85% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsFinland: 51 million TIV in 2025Norway: 407 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsFinland: 115 million TIV in 2025Norway: 415 million TIV in 2025