Germany vs Japan

Germany vs Japan: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 183,000 people in Germany and 261,000 people in Japan, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Japan, by 78,000 people, or 1.43 times that in Germany.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Germany vs Japan: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 183,000 people in Germany and 261,000 people in Japan, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Japan, by 78,000 people, or 1.43 times that in Germany.
GermanyJapanEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • Japan has been higher since 2009, when it overtook Germany.
  • In 2020, Germany ranked 35 and Japan ranked 27 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearGermanyJapanWorld
2020183,000261,00027.4 million
2019184,000261,00027.7 million
2018181,400261,20027.7 million
2017180,000261,00027.4 million
2016179,100260,90027.5 million
2015177,300259,80027.4 million
2014178,600259,80027.3 million
2013181,600259,80027.2 million
2012186,500259,80028.2 million
2011196,000260,10028 million
2010251,500260,40028.1 million
2009251,500260,40027.9 million
2008244,000242,00027.5 million
2007244,000242,00027.3 million
2006246,000252,00027 million
2005285,000272,00028.5 million
2004284,000251,00027.1 million
2003284,500252,10028.2 million
2002296,000252,10028.3 million
2001308,400252,10028.2 million
2000221,100248,70029.4 million
1999331,000254,60029.6 million
1998333,500254,60029.9 million
1997347,100247,60029.9 million
1996383,500247,50030.2 million
1995365,000251,50030.2 million
1994362,000233,00023.2 million
1993398,000242,00023.7 million
1992442,000242,00024.5 million
1991457,000250,00022.7 million
1990545,000250,00023.9 million
1989503,000247,00024.3 million
1985478,000243,00022.2 million
1984–241,000–
1983–241,000–
1982–243,000–
1981–241,000–
1980–242,000–
1979–239,000–
1978–239,000–
1977–236,000–
1976–236,000–
1975–237,000–
1974–237,000–
1973–233,000–
1972–233,000–
1971–234,000–
1970–236,000–
1969–236,000–
1968–235,000–
1967–231,000–
1966–227,000–
1965–246,000–
1964–244,000–
1963–243,000–
1962–235,000–
1961–230,000–
1960–263,000–
1959–255,000–
1958–243,000–
1957–224,000–
1956–215,000–
1955–196,000–
1954–165,000–
1953–123,000–
1952–119,000–
19455.3 million6.1 million–
19446.13 million4.33 million–
19436.96 million3.08 million–
19427.03 million3.08 million–
19417.1 million3.08 million–
19403.3 million957,000–
19392.75 million957,000–
1938782,000370,000–
1937603,000393,000–
1936596,000416,000–
1935461,000410,000–
1934315,000399,000–
1933118,000371,000–
1932114,000370,000–
1931114,000292,000–
1930114,000293,000–
1929114,000296,000–
1928114,000285,000–
1927114,000274,000–
1926114,000302,000–
1925114,000306,000–
1924114,000306,000–
1923114,000306,000–
1922114,000306,000–
1921114,000306,000–
1920114,000306,000–
1919114,000306,000–
19188 million660,000–
19175.38 million660,000–
19164.58 million650,000–
19153.82 million650,000–
1914862,000300,000–
1913859,000296,000–
1912716,000275,000–
1911677,000274,000–
1910673,000283,000–
1909667,000273,000–
1908663,000273,000–
1907658,000262,000–
1906653,000266,000–
1905648,000250,000–
1904642,000218,000–
1903636,000214,000–
1902638,000209,000–
1901630,000206,000–
1900624,000182,000–
1899619,000147,000–
1898606,000156,000–
1897604,000132,000–
1896602,000103,000–
1895602,000207,000–
1894601,00083,000–
1893601,00071,000–
1892526,00079,000–
1891524,00089,000–
1890505,00071,000–
1889504,00069,000–
1888504,00062,000–
1887503,00062,000–
1886460,00056,000–
1885459,00052,000–
1884457,00048,000–
1883457,00048,000–
1882455,00047,000–
1881456,00046,000–
1880430,00045,000–
1879430,00044,000–
1878429,00043,000–
1877429,00038,000–
1876429,00037,000–
1875428,00041,000–
1874429,00041,000–
1873426,00040,000–
1872427,00020,000–
1871–17,000–
1870–6,000–
1869–6,000–
1868–0–
1867–0–
1866–0–
1865–0–
1864–0–
1863–0–
1862–12,000–
1861–12,000–
1860–12,000–
  • 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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