France vs United Kingdom
France vs United Kingdom: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 304,000 people in France and 153,000 people in United Kingdom, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in France, by 151,000 people, or 1.99 times that in United Kingdom.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- France has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, France ranked 23 and United Kingdom ranked 41 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | France | United Kingdom | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 304,000 | 153,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 304,000 | 149,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 304,800 | 148,500 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 307,000 | 148,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 306,100 | 150,300 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 306,400 | 152,400 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 312,400 | 154,700 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 318,400 | 159,200 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 325,600 | 169,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 332,300 | 165,700 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 342,000 | 174,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 342,000 | 178,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 353,000 | 160,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 353,000 | 160,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 354,000 | 181,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 359,000 | 217,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 358,000 | 205,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 360,400 | 212,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 361,800 | 210,400 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 374,400 | 211,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 389,400 | 212,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 411,600 | 218,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 452,200 | 218,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 473,100 | 218,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 491,300 | 221,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 502,400 | 233,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 506,000 | 257,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 506,000 | 271,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 522,000 | 293,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 542,000 | 301,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 550,000 | 308,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 554,000 | 318,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 464,300 | 334,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 571,000 | 336,000 | – |
| 1983 | 578,000 | 333,000 | – |
| 1982 | 578,000 | 335,000 | – |
| 1981 | 575,000 | 341,000 | – |
| 1980 | 575,000 | 330,000 | – |
| 1979 | 578,000 | 324,000 | – |
| 1978 | 581,000 | 320,000 | – |
| 1977 | 584,000 | 326,000 | – |
| 1976 | 585,000 | 337,000 | – |
| 1975 | 585,000 | 348,000 | – |
| 1974 | 585,000 | 359,000 | – |
| 1973 | 581,000 | 377,000 | – |
| 1972 | 560,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1971 | 565,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1970 | 570,000 | 390,000 | – |
| 1969 | 570,000 | 390,000 | – |
| 1968 | 570,000 | 410,000 | – |
| 1967 | 595,000 | 425,000 | – |
| 1966 | 580,000 | 425,000 | – |
| 1965 | 585,000 | 425,000 | – |
| 1964 | 690,000 | 435,000 | – |
| 1963 | 735,000 | 450,000 | – |
| 1962 | 705,000 | 475,000 | – |
| 1961 | 720,000 | 475,000 | – |
| 1960 | 1.03 million | 519,000 | – |
| 1959 | 992,000 | 565,000 | – |
| 1958 | 961,000 | 614,000 | – |
| 1957 | 913,000 | 702,000 | – |
| 1956 | 856,000 | 761,000 | – |
| 1955 | 802,000 | 809,000 | – |
| 1954 | 745,000 | 839,000 | – |
| 1953 | 699,000 | 865,000 | – |
| 1952 | 655,000 | 872,000 | – |
| 1951 | 620,000 | 826,000 | – |
| 1950 | 595,000 | 689,000 | – |
| 1949 | 588,000 | 770,000 | – |
| 1948 | 577,000 | 847,000 | – |
| 1947 | 580,000 | 1.3 million | – |
| 1946 | 578,000 | 2.05 million | – |
| 1945 | 578,000 | 5.09 million | – |
| 1944 | 579,000 | 4.9 million | – |
| 1943 | – | 4.15 million | – |
| 1942 | – | 3.39 million | – |
| 1941 | 373,000 | 2.3 million | – |
| 1940 | 5 million | 1.02 million | – |
| 1939 | 581,000 | 394,000 | – |
| 1938 | 581,000 | 376,000 | – |
| 1937 | 613,000 | 350,000 | – |
| 1936 | 588,000 | 336,000 | – |
| 1935 | 548,000 | 321,000 | – |
| 1934 | 458,000 | 318,000 | – |
| 1933 | 449,000 | 316,000 | – |
| 1932 | 422,000 | 317,000 | – |
| 1931 | 441,000 | 319,000 | – |
| 1930 | 411,000 | 318,000 | – |
| 1929 | 411,000 | 325,000 | – |
| 1928 | 469,000 | 330,000 | – |
| 1927 | 494,000 | 338,000 | – |
| 1926 | 471,000 | 341,000 | – |
| 1925 | 475,000 | 342,000 | – |
| 1924 | 479,000 | 337,000 | – |
| 1923 | 511,000 | 337,000 | – |
| 1922 | 545,000 | 368,000 | – |
| 1921 | 547,000 | 448,000 | – |
| 1920 | 1.46 million | 596,000 | – |
| 1919 | 2.36 million | 1.33 million | – |
| 1918 | 5.28 million | 4.22 million | – |
| 1917 | 5.14 million | 4.43 million | – |
| 1916 | 5.26 million | – | – |
| 1915 | 5 million | 4.35 million | – |
| 1914 | 789,000 | 532,000 | – |
| 1913 | 632,000 | 533,000 | – |
| 1912 | 642,000 | 523,000 | – |
| 1911 | 638,000 | 376,000 | – |
| 1910 | 652,000 | 372,000 | – |
| 1909 | 641,000 | 381,000 | – |
| 1908 | 619,000 | 364,000 | – |
| 1907 | 619,000 | 369,000 | – |
| 1906 | 635,000 | 384,000 | – |
| 1905 | 626,000 | 394,000 | – |
| 1904 | 596,000 | 409,000 | – |
| 1903 | 614,000 | 416,000 | – |
| 1902 | 610,000 | 489,000 | – |
| 1901 | 603,000 | 521,000 | – |
| 1900 | 621,000 | 487,000 | – |
| 1899 | 654,000 | 331,000 | – |
| 1898 | 654,000 | 331,000 | – |
| 1897 | 623,000 | 319,000 | – |
| 1896 | 613,000 | 315,000 | – |
| 1895 | 586,000 | 309,000 | – |
| 1894 | 590,000 | 302,000 | – |
| 1893 | 610,000 | 294,000 | – |
| 1892 | 606,000 | 288,000 | – |
| 1891 | 605,000 | 281,000 | – |
| 1890 | 596,000 | 278,000 | – |
| 1889 | 589,000 | 275,000 | – |
| 1888 | 569,000 | 273,000 | – |
| 1887 | 519,000 | 273,000 | – |
| 1886 | 536,000 | 265,000 | – |
| 1885 | 519,000 | 256,000 | – |
| 1884 | 526,000 | 240,000 | – |
| 1883 | 516,000 | 239,000 | – |
| 1882 | 588,000 | 247,000 | – |
| 1881 | 578,000 | 247,000 | – |
| 1880 | 544,000 | 248,000 | – |
| 1879 | 525,000 | 260,000 | – |
| 1878 | 543,000 | 261,000 | – |
| 1877 | 523,000 | 251,000 | – |
| 1876 | 501,000 | 244,000 | – |
| 1875 | 485,000 | 245,000 | – |
| 1874 | 474,000 | 248,000 | – |
| 1873 | 534,000 | 252,000 | – |
| 1872 | 483,000 | 254,000 | – |
| 1871 | 1 million | 241,000 | – |
| 1870 | 452,000 | 257,000 | – |
| 1869 | 474,000 | 270,000 | – |
| 1868 | 483,000 | 279,000 | – |
| 1867 | 461,000 | 283,000 | – |
| 1866 | 458,000 | 286,000 | – |
| 1865 | 479,000 | 296,000 | – |
| 1864 | 487,000 | 290,000 | – |
| 1863 | 493,000 | 312,000 | – |
| 1862 | 520,000 | 305,000 | – |
| 1861 | 528,000 | 316,000 | – |
| 1860 | 608,000 | 347,000 | – |
| 1859 | 465,000 | 315,000 | – |
| 1858 | 427,000 | 292,000 | – |
| 1857 | 528,000 | 272,000 | – |
| 1856 | 645,000 | 382,000 | – |
| 1855 | 645,000 | 329,000 | – |
| 1854 | 440,000 | 234,000 | – |
| 1853 | 424,000 | 213,000 | – |
| 1852 | 397,000 | 201,000 | – |
| 1851 | 402,000 | 198,000 | – |
| 1850 | 439,000 | 201,000 | – |
| 1849 | 465,000 | 203,000 | – |
| 1848 | 387,000 | 208,000 | – |
| 1847 | 394,000 | 193,000 | – |
| 1846 | 388,000 | 191,000 | – |
| 1845 | 357,000 | 178,000 | – |
| 1844 | 361,000 | 185,000 | – |
| 1843 | 397,000 | 158,000 | – |
| 1842 | 438,000 | 184,000 | – |
| 1841 | 483,000 | 173,000 | – |
| 1840 | 446,000 | 168,000 | – |
| 1839 | 300,000 | 159,000 | – |
| 1838 | 304,000 | 155,000 | – |
| 1837 | 307,000 | 143,000 | – |
| 1836 | 294,000 | 143,000 | – |
| 1835 | 289,000 | 136,000 | – |
| 1834 | 267,000 | 137,000 | – |
| 1833 | 299,000 | 144,000 | – |
| 1832 | 311,000 | 145,000 | – |
| 1831 | 373,000 | 150,000 | – |
| 1830 | 259,000 | 140,000 | – |
| 1829 | 265,000 | 148,000 | – |
| 1828 | 247,000 | 155,000 | – |
| 1827 | 237,000 | 155,000 | – |
| 1826 | 237,000 | 149,000 | – |
| 1825 | 237,000 | 132,000 | – |
| 1824 | 239,000 | 132,000 | – |
| 1823 | 256,000 | 125,000 | – |
| 1822 | 243,000 | 125,000 | – |
| 1821 | 198,000 | 139,000 | – |
| 1820 | 208,000 | 144,000 | – |
| 1819 | 182,000 | 143,000 | – |
| 1818 | 138,000 | 173,000 | – |
| 1817 | 131,000 | 190,000 | – |
| 1816 | 132,000 | 255,000 | – |
- 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
France vs United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancyFrance: 83.3 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityFrance: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityFrance: 3.5 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterFrance: 99.7% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionFrance: 4.25% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateFrance: 12.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationFrance: 66.4 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthFrance: 0.17% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateFrance: 1.64 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationFrance: 78.8% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageFrance: 41.8 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overFrance: 21.8% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateFrance: 1.4 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingFrance: 2.03% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsFrance: $64.5B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personFrance: $1,021 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingFrance: 3.5% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerFrance: 1.09% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersFrance: 1% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsFrance: 236 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsFrance: 3.37 billion TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025