Germany vs Poland
Germany vs Poland: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 183,000 people in Germany and 189,000 people in Poland, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Poland, by 6,000 people, or 1.03 times that in Germany.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Poland has been higher since 2017, when it overtook Germany.
- In 2020, Germany ranked 35 and Poland ranked 34 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Germany | Poland | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 183,000 | 189,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 184,000 | 189,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 181,400 | 196,700 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 180,000 | 191,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 179,100 | 178,400 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 177,300 | 172,700 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 178,600 | 172,700 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 181,600 | 172,700 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 186,500 | 172,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 196,000 | 118,100 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 251,500 | 121,400 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 251,500 | 121,400 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 244,000 | 143,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 244,000 | 142,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 246,000 | 148,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 285,000 | 162,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 284,000 | 162,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 284,500 | 184,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 296,000 | 184,400 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 308,400 | 228,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 221,100 | 238,800 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 331,000 | 264,100 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 333,500 | 264,100 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 347,100 | 265,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 383,500 | 272,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 365,000 | 302,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 362,000 | 255,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 398,000 | 260,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 442,000 | 270,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 457,000 | 305,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 545,000 | 313,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 503,000 | 350,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 478,000 | 319,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | – | 434,000 | – |
| 1983 | – | 426,000 | – |
| 1982 | – | 420,000 | – |
| 1981 | – | 414,000 | – |
| 1980 | – | 408,000 | – |
| 1979 | – | 399,000 | – |
| 1978 | – | 382,000 | – |
| 1977 | – | 370,000 | – |
| 1976 | – | 435,000 | – |
| 1975 | – | 435,000 | – |
| 1974 | – | 366,000 | – |
| 1973 | – | 328,000 | – |
| 1972 | – | 318,000 | – |
| 1971 | – | 315,000 | – |
| 1970 | – | 314,000 | – |
| 1969 | – | 312,000 | – |
| 1968 | – | 310,000 | – |
| 1967 | – | 305,000 | – |
| 1966 | – | 303,000 | – |
| 1965 | – | 302,000 | – |
| 1964 | – | 302,000 | – |
| 1963 | – | 303,000 | – |
| 1962 | – | 310,000 | – |
| 1961 | – | 305,000 | – |
| 1960 | – | 200,000 | – |
| 1959 | – | 200,000 | – |
| 1958 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1957 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1956 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1955 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1954 | – | 300,000 | – |
| 1953 | – | 450,000 | – |
| 1952 | – | 450,000 | – |
| 1951 | – | 400,000 | – |
| 1950 | – | 328,000 | – |
| 1949 | – | 255,000 | – |
| 1948 | – | 204,000 | – |
| 1947 | – | 168,000 | – |
| 1946 | – | 132,000 | – |
| 1945 | 5.3 million | 197,000 | – |
| 1944 | 6.13 million | – | – |
| 1943 | 6.96 million | – | – |
| 1942 | 7.03 million | – | – |
| 1941 | 7.1 million | – | – |
| 1940 | 3.3 million | – | – |
| 1939 | 2.75 million | 275,000 | – |
| 1938 | 782,000 | 308,000 | – |
| 1937 | 603,000 | 281,000 | – |
| 1936 | 596,000 | 272,000 | – |
| 1935 | 461,000 | 271,000 | – |
| 1934 | 315,000 | 272,000 | – |
| 1933 | 118,000 | 269,000 | – |
| 1932 | 114,000 | 269,000 | – |
| 1931 | 114,000 | 269,000 | – |
| 1930 | 114,000 | 263,000 | – |
| 1929 | 114,000 | 268,000 | – |
| 1928 | 114,000 | 268,000 | – |
| 1927 | 114,000 | 265,000 | – |
| 1926 | 114,000 | 293,000 | – |
| 1925 | 114,000 | 272,000 | – |
| 1924 | 114,000 | 278,000 | – |
| 1923 | 114,000 | 270,000 | – |
| 1922 | 114,000 | 252,000 | – |
| 1921 | 114,000 | 255,000 | – |
| 1920 | 114,000 | 962,000 | – |
| 1919 | 114,000 | 300,000 | – |
| 1918 | 8 million | – | – |
| 1917 | 5.38 million | – | – |
| 1916 | 4.58 million | – | – |
| 1915 | 3.82 million | – | – |
| 1914 | 862,000 | – | – |
| 1913 | 859,000 | – | – |
| 1912 | 716,000 | – | – |
| 1911 | 677,000 | – | – |
| 1910 | 673,000 | – | – |
| 1909 | 667,000 | – | – |
| 1908 | 663,000 | – | – |
| 1907 | 658,000 | – | – |
| 1906 | 653,000 | – | – |
| 1905 | 648,000 | – | – |
| 1904 | 642,000 | – | – |
| 1903 | 636,000 | – | – |
| 1902 | 638,000 | – | – |
| 1901 | 630,000 | – | – |
| 1900 | 624,000 | – | – |
| 1899 | 619,000 | – | – |
| 1898 | 606,000 | – | – |
| 1897 | 604,000 | – | – |
| 1896 | 602,000 | – | – |
| 1895 | 602,000 | – | – |
| 1894 | 601,000 | – | – |
| 1893 | 601,000 | – | – |
| 1892 | 526,000 | – | – |
| 1891 | 524,000 | – | – |
| 1890 | 505,000 | – | – |
| 1889 | 504,000 | – | – |
| 1888 | 504,000 | – | – |
| 1887 | 503,000 | – | – |
| 1886 | 460,000 | – | – |
| 1885 | 459,000 | – | – |
| 1884 | 457,000 | – | – |
| 1883 | 457,000 | – | – |
| 1882 | 455,000 | – | – |
| 1881 | 456,000 | – | – |
| 1880 | 430,000 | – | – |
| 1879 | 430,000 | – | – |
| 1878 | 429,000 | – | – |
| 1877 | 429,000 | – | – |
| 1876 | 429,000 | – | – |
| 1875 | 428,000 | – | – |
| 1874 | 429,000 | – | – |
| 1873 | 426,000 | – | – |
| 1872 | 427,000 | – | – |
- 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
Germany vs Poland
Health
- Life expectancyGermany: 81.4 years in 2023Poland: 78.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGermany: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Poland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGermany: 3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Poland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterGermany: 99.9% in 2022Poland: 88.9% in 2022
- DepressionGermany: 3.96% in 2017Poland: 2.25% in 2017
- Suicide rateGermany: 9.9 per 100,000 people in 2017Poland: 14 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGermany: 84.6 million people in 2023Poland: 38.8 million people in 2023
- Population growthGermany: 0.35% a year in 2023Poland: -0.26% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGermany: 1.44 births per woman in 2023Poland: 1.3 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGermany: 82.1% in 2025Poland: 60.1% in 2025
- Median ageGermany: 45.2 years in 2023Poland: 41.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGermany: 22.8% in 2023Poland: 19.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateGermany: 7.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Poland: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGermany: 2.27% of GDP in 2025Poland: 4.5% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGermany: $107B in 2025Poland: $42.5B in 2025
- Military spending per personGermany: $1,346 in 2025Poland: $1,219 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGermany: 4.5% of government spending in 2025Poland: 9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerGermany: 1.5% of world capability in 2022Poland: 0.52% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGermany: 0.42% of the labour force in 2020Poland: 1.04% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGermany: 1.63 billion TIV in 2025Poland: 2.17 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsGermany: 1.7 billion TIV in 2025Poland: 59 million TIV in 2025