Finland vs Sweden

Finland vs Sweden: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 22,000 people in Finland and 15,000 people in Sweden, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Finland, by 7,000 people, or 1.47 times that in Sweden.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Finland vs Sweden: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 22,000 people in Finland and 15,000 people in Sweden, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Finland, by 7,000 people, or 1.47 times that in Sweden.
FinlandSwedenEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • Finland has been higher since 2018, when it overtook Sweden.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearFinlandSwedenWorld
202022,00015,00027.4 million
201927,00015,00027.7 million
201825,20015,15027.7 million
201725,00030,00027.4 million
201624,20030,55027.5 million
201524,90030,55027.4 million
201425,00030,55027.3 million
201325,00016,10027.2 million
201225,00016,10028.2 million
201125,00021,30028 million
201024,98021,16028.1 million
200925,05021,87027.9 million
200832,00017,60027.5 million
200732,00017,60027.3 million
200632,00024,60027 million
200531,00028,60028.5 million
200431,00027,60027.1 million
200330,10063,20028.2 million
200234,90069,50028.3 million
200135,40069,50028.2 million
200035,10088,30029.4 million
199935,10088,70029.6 million
199835,10088,70029.9 million
199734,40088,95029.9 million
199636,00098,20030.2 million
199534,50099,60030.2 million
199435,00070,00023.2 million
199331,00070,00023.7 million
199233,00070,00024.5 million
199132,00063,00022.7 million
199031,00065,00023.9 million
198939,00062,00024.3 million
198536,50065,70022.2 million
198440,00069,000–
198340,00068,000–
198236,00070,000–
198136,00070,000–
198036,00070,000–
197936,00068,000–
197840,00069,000–
197740,00069,000–
197636,00066,000–
197540,00075,000–
197440,00075,000–
197340,00075,000–
197240,00075,000–
197140,00075,000–
197040,00075,000–
196940,00075,000–
196840,00075,000–
196740,00070,000–
196640,00070,000–
196540,00070,000–
196440,00070,000–
196335,00070,000–
196247,00080,000–
196148,00080,000–
196042,00029,000–
195942,00029,000–
195842,00028,000–
195742,00028,000–
195642,000––
195542,000––
195442,000––
195342,000––
195242,000––
195142,000––
195042,000––
194942,000––
194842,000––
194742,000––
194642,000––
194532,000400,000–
1944350,000400,000–
1943350,000400,000–
1942–400,000–
1940300,000100,000–
193937,000––
193836,00041,000–
193731,00027,000–
193631,00030,000–
193531,00039,000–
193431,000––
193332,00034,000–
193229,00032,000–
193131,00032,000–
193027,00039,000–
192929,00038,000–
192830,00038,000–
192730,00028,000–
192629,00028,000–
192532,00030,000–
192431,00040,000–
192329,00025,000–
192230,00030,000–
192135,00025,000–
192039,000101,000–
191938,000––
1918–101,000–
1917–100,000–
1916–99,000–
1915–80,000–
1913–86,000–
1912–74,000–
1911–74,000–
1910–71,000–
1909–65,000–
1908–67,000–
1907–67,000–
1906–67,000–
1905–64,000–
1904–95,000–
1903–103,000–
1902–73,000–
1901–75,000–
1900–75,000–
1899–63,000–
1898–63,000–
1897–63,000–
1896–62,000–
1895–63,000–
1894–63,000–
1893–63,000–
1892–63,000–
1891–66,000–
1890–66,000–
1889–64,000–
1888–64,000–
1887–65,000–
1886–65,000–
1885–65,000–
1884–62,000–
1883–69,000–
1882–67,000–
1881–66,000–
1880–92,000–
1879–64,000–
1878–86,000–
1877–94,000–
1876–54,000–
1875–79,000–
1873–82,000–
1872–86,000–
1871–83,000–
1870–83,000–
1869–83,000–
1868–83,000–
1867–120,000–
1866–120,000–
1865–117,000–
1864–117,000–
1863–91,000–
1862–91,000–
1861–77,000–
1860–77,000–
1859–77,000–
1858–76,000–
1857–77,000–
1856–77,000–
1855–77,000–
1853–77,000–
1852–49,000–
1851–34,000–
1850–34,000–
1849–49,000–
1848–47,000–
1846–52,000–
1844–52,000–
1840–52,000–
1833–52,000–
1831–45,000–
1830–42,000–
1828–45,000–
1823–45,000–
1819–54,000–
  • 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

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