Greece vs Spain
Greece vs Spain: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 147,000 people in Greece and 199,000 people in Spain, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Spain, by 52,000 people, or 1.35 times that in Greece.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Spain has been higher since 1994, when it overtook Greece.
- In 2020, Greece ranked 42 and Spain ranked 32 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Greece | Spain | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 147,000 | 199,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 147,000 | 199,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 147,900 | 196,400 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 146,000 | 196,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 145,400 | 198,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 147,000 | 200,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 147,000 | 200,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 149,000 | 214,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 147,400 | 215,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 148,400 | 215,700 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 149,600 | 223,200 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 142,900 | 222,400 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 161,000 | 223,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 161,000 | 222,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 161,000 | 222,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 168,000 | 220,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 167,000 | 220,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 181,600 | 224,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 181,600 | 251,200 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 163,200 | 214,700 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 163,200 | 241,800 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 169,600 | 262,300 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 172,500 | 269,700 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 166,300 | 273,300 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 198,800 | 282,300 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 201,800 | 281,600 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 206,000 | 213,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 213,000 | 204,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 208,000 | 198,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 205,000 | 246,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 201,000 | 263,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 201,000 | 277,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 201,500 | 320,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 197,000 | 342,000 | – |
| 1983 | 177,000 | 355,000 | – |
| 1982 | 186,000 | 372,000 | – |
| 1981 | 188,000 | 366,000 | – |
| 1980 | 186,000 | 356,000 | – |
| 1979 | 187,000 | 374,000 | – |
| 1978 | 186,000 | 372,000 | – |
| 1977 | 187,000 | 373,000 | – |
| 1976 | 186,000 | 368,000 | – |
| 1975 | 185,000 | 375,000 | – |
| 1974 | 186,000 | 375,000 | – |
| 1973 | 184,000 | 365,000 | – |
| 1972 | 180,000 | 365,000 | – |
| 1971 | 180,000 | 365,000 | – |
| 1970 | 180,000 | 365,000 | – |
| 1969 | 180,000 | 365,000 | – |
| 1968 | 185,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1967 | 170,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1966 | 175,000 | 375,000 | – |
| 1965 | 190,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1964 | 175,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1963 | 175,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1962 | 160,000 | 340,000 | – |
| 1961 | 160,000 | 345,000 | – |
| 1960 | 160,000 | 371,000 | – |
| 1959 | 152,000 | 398,000 | – |
| 1958 | 148,000 | 424,000 | – |
| 1957 | 144,000 | 451,000 | – |
| 1956 | 135,000 | 478,000 | – |
| 1955 | 144,000 | 505,000 | – |
| 1954 | 173,000 | 505,000 | – |
| 1953 | 171,000 | 503,000 | – |
| 1952 | 171,000 | 528,000 | – |
| 1951 | 160,000 | 528,000 | – |
| 1950 | 192,000 | 494,000 | – |
| 1949 | 223,000 | 444,000 | – |
| 1948 | 154,000 | 464,000 | – |
| 1947 | 137,000 | 464,000 | – |
| 1946 | 120,000 | 462,000 | – |
| 1945 | 117,000 | 477,000 | – |
| 1944 | – | 483,000 | – |
| 1943 | – | 497,000 | – |
| 1942 | – | 508,000 | – |
| 1941 | 414,000 | 522,000 | – |
| 1940 | 105,000 | 531,000 | – |
| 1939 | 98,000 | 539,000 | – |
| 1938 | 95,000 | 550,000 | – |
| 1937 | 90,000 | 500,000 | – |
| 1936 | 68,000 | 475,000 | – |
| 1935 | 63,000 | 141,000 | – |
| 1934 | 63,000 | 138,000 | – |
| 1933 | 62,000 | 146,000 | – |
| 1932 | 62,000 | 138,000 | – |
| 1931 | 62,000 | 134,000 | – |
| 1930 | 66,000 | 134,000 | – |
| 1929 | 69,000 | 132,000 | – |
| 1928 | 73,000 | 128,000 | – |
| 1927 | 76,000 | 129,000 | – |
| 1926 | 79,000 | 154,000 | – |
| 1925 | 81,000 | 152,000 | – |
| 1924 | 78,000 | 161,000 | – |
| 1923 | 79,000 | 199,000 | – |
| 1922 | 79,000 | 235,000 | – |
| 1921 | 72,000 | 207,000 | – |
| 1920 | 65,000 | 236,000 | – |
| 1919 | 58,000 | 224,000 | – |
| 1918 | 51,000 | 212,000 | – |
| 1917 | 42,000 | 198,000 | – |
| 1916 | 37,000 | 189,000 | – |
| 1915 | 33,000 | 175,000 | – |
| 1914 | 29,000 | 162,000 | – |
| 1913 | 200,000 | 145,000 | – |
| 1912 | 27,000 | 145,000 | – |
| 1911 | 33,000 | 147,000 | – |
| 1910 | 30,000 | 137,000 | – |
| 1909 | 25,000 | 111,000 | – |
| 1908 | 25,000 | 111,000 | – |
| 1907 | 25,000 | 132,000 | – |
| 1906 | 26,000 | 113,000 | – |
| 1905 | 29,000 | 113,000 | – |
| 1904 | 28,000 | 112,000 | – |
| 1903 | 23,000 | 112,000 | – |
| 1902 | 22,000 | 112,000 | – |
| 1901 | 22,000 | 114,000 | – |
| 1900 | 25,000 | 111,000 | – |
| 1899 | 25,000 | 132,000 | – |
| 1898 | 25,000 | 153,000 | – |
| 1897 | 25,000 | 154,000 | – |
| 1896 | 25,000 | 149,000 | – |
| 1895 | 26,000 | 150,000 | – |
| 1894 | 25,000 | 136,000 | – |
| 1893 | 25,000 | 133,000 | – |
| 1892 | 31,000 | 131,000 | – |
| 1891 | 32,000 | 137,000 | – |
| 1890 | 25,000 | 139,000 | – |
| 1889 | 29,000 | 146,000 | – |
| 1888 | 25,000 | 149,000 | – |
| 1887 | 27,000 | 153,000 | – |
| 1886 | 28,000 | 153,000 | – |
| 1885 | 28,000 | 176,000 | – |
| 1884 | 28,000 | 150,000 | – |
| 1883 | 28,000 | 154,000 | – |
| 1882 | 32,000 | 157,000 | – |
| 1881 | 84,000 | 160,000 | – |
| 1880 | 10,000 | 159,000 | – |
| 1879 | 13,000 | 154,000 | – |
| 1878 | 13,000 | 150,000 | – |
| 1877 | 25,000 | 104,000 | – |
| 1876 | 12,000 | 104,000 | – |
| 1875 | 14,000 | 111,000 | – |
| 1874 | 11,000 | 103,000 | – |
| 1873 | 11,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1872 | 11,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1871 | 11,000 | 97,000 | – |
| 1870 | 14,000 | 124,000 | – |
| 1869 | 16,000 | 102,000 | – |
| 1868 | 16,000 | 98,000 | – |
| 1867 | 15,000 | 109,000 | – |
| 1866 | 13,000 | 107,000 | – |
| 1865 | 13,000 | 124,000 | – |
| 1864 | 12,000 | 118,000 | – |
| 1863 | 12,000 | 109,000 | – |
| 1862 | 8,000 | 117,000 | – |
| 1861 | 8,000 | 123,000 | – |
| 1860 | 10,000 | 125,000 | – |
| 1859 | 10,000 | 124,000 | – |
| 1858 | 10,000 | 123,000 | – |
| 1857 | 9,000 | 120,000 | – |
| 1856 | 9,000 | 104,000 | – |
| 1855 | 9,000 | 92,000 | – |
| 1854 | 10,000 | 103,000 | – |
| 1853 | 10,000 | 105,000 | – |
| 1852 | 8,000 | 110,000 | – |
| 1851 | 9,000 | 114,000 | – |
| 1850 | 9,000 | 117,000 | – |
| 1849 | 9,000 | 118,000 | – |
| 1848 | 10,000 | 120,000 | – |
| 1847 | 8,000 | 121,000 | – |
| 1846 | 6,000 | 121,000 | – |
| 1845 | 7,000 | 113,000 | – |
| 1844 | 7,000 | 107,000 | – |
| 1843 | 8,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1842 | 8,000 | 92,000 | – |
| 1841 | 8,000 | 86,000 | – |
| 1840 | 9,000 | 79,000 | – |
| 1839 | 12,000 | 79,000 | – |
| 1838 | 12,000 | 84,000 | – |
| 1837 | 11,000 | 89,000 | – |
| 1836 | 9,000 | 95,000 | – |
| 1835 | 12,000 | 101,000 | – |
| 1834 | 11,000 | 110,000 | – |
| 1833 | 9,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1832 | 8,000 | 89,000 | – |
| 1831 | 5,000 | 130,000 | – |
| 1830 | 5,000 | 83,000 | – |
| 1829 | 5,000 | 87,000 | – |
| 1828 | 5,000 | 91,000 | – |
| 1827 | – | 92,000 | – |
| 1826 | – | 92,000 | – |
| 1825 | – | 93,000 | – |
| 1824 | – | 93,000 | – |
| 1823 | – | 114,000 | – |
| 1822 | – | 158,000 | – |
| 1821 | – | 165,000 | – |
| 1820 | – | 146,000 | – |
| 1819 | – | 127,000 | – |
| 1818 | – | 126,000 | – |
| 1817 | – | 126,000 | – |
| 1816 | – | 125,000 | – |
- 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
Greece vs Spain
Health
- Life expectancyGreece: 81.9 years in 2023Spain: 83.7 years in 2023
- Child mortalityGreece: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Spain: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityGreece: 3.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023Spain: 2.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterGreece: 98.9% in 2022Spain: 99.6% in 2022
- DepressionGreece: 4.19% in 2017Spain: 3.54% in 2017
- Suicide rateGreece: 3.5 per 100,000 people in 2017Spain: 5.5 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationGreece: 10.2 million people in 2023Spain: 47.9 million people in 2023
- Population growthGreece: -2.08% a year in 2023Spain: 0.02% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateGreece: 1.33 births per woman in 2023Spain: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationGreece: 79.2% in 2025Spain: 80.5% in 2025
- Median ageGreece: 45.8 years in 2023Spain: 44.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overGreece: 23.5% in 2023Spain: 20.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateGreece: -15.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Spain: 2.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingGreece: 2.99% of GDP in 2025Spain: 2.13% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsGreece: $7.81B in 2025Spain: $37.7B in 2025
- Military spending per personGreece: $842 in 2025Spain: $839 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingGreece: 6% of government spending in 2025Spain: 4.7% of government spending in 2025
- National powerGreece: 0.26% of world capability in 2022Spain: 0.66% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersGreece: 3.2% of the labour force in 2020Spain: 0.87% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsGreece: 574 million TIV in 2025Spain: 237 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsGreece: 2 million TIV in 2025Spain: 341 million TIV in 2025