Israel vs Syria
Israel vs Syria: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 178,000 people in Israel and 269,000 people in Syria, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Syria, by 91,000 people, or 1.51 times that in Israel.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Syria has been higher since 2014, when it overtook Israel.
- In 2020, Israel ranked 36 and Syria ranked 26 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Israel | Syria | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 178,000 | 269,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 178,000 | 269,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 177,500 | 257,500 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 178,000 | 239,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 184,500 | 307,500 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 184,500 | 277,500 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 184,500 | 280,500 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 184,500 | 178,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 184,500 | 178,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 184,600 | 178,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 184,600 | 403,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 184,600 | 403,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 185,000 | 401,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 185,000 | 401,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 185,000 | 401,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 176,000 | 416,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 176,000 | 415,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 175,000 | 427,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 169,500 | 427,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 171,500 | 429,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 180,500 | 424,800 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 179,600 | 424,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 181,100 | 428,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 181,100 | 428,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 181,100 | 529,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 178,100 | 531,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 185,000 | 320,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 181,000 | 408,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 181,000 | 408,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 190,000 | 408,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 190,000 | 408,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 191,000 | 400,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 142,000 | 402,500 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 205,000 | 402,000 | – |
| 1983 | 205,000 | 400,000 | – |
| 1982 | 205,000 | 300,000 | – |
| 1981 | 201,000 | 270,000 | – |
| 1980 | 196,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1979 | 181,000 | 220,000 | – |
| 1978 | 179,000 | 220,000 | – |
| 1977 | 179,000 | 250,000 | – |
| 1976 | 172,000 | 240,000 | – |
| 1975 | 172,000 | 230,000 | – |
| 1974 | 182,000 | 130,000 | – |
| 1973 | 130,000 | 115,000 | – |
| 1972 | 130,000 | 115,000 | – |
| 1971 | 130,000 | 110,000 | – |
| 1970 | 105,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1969 | 100,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1968 | 95,000 | 65,000 | – |
| 1967 | 75,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1966 | 65,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1965 | 65,000 | 70,000 | – |
| 1964 | 65,000 | 80,000 | – |
| 1963 | 65,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1962 | 65,000 | 54,000 | – |
| 1961 | 63,000 | 52,000 | – |
| 1960 | 65,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 65,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 65,000 | 62,000 | – |
| 1957 | 70,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1956 | 75,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1955 | 75,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1954 | 75,000 | 25,000 | – |
| 1953 | 75,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1952 | 75,000 | 35,000 | – |
| 1951 | 75,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1950 | 78,000 | 32,000 | – |
| 1949 | 82,000 | 20,000 | – |
| 1948 | 85,000 | 8,000 | – |
| 1947 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1946 | – | 10,000 | – |
- 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
Israel vs Syria
Health
- Life expectancyIsrael: 82.4 years in 2023Syria: 72.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIsrael: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Syria: 1.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIsrael: 2.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023Syria: 16.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionIsrael: 3.83% in 2017Syria: 3.58% in 2017
- Suicide rateIsrael: 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2017Syria: 3.1 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIsrael: 9.26 million people in 2023Syria: 23.6 million people in 2023
- Population growthIsrael: 1.42% a year in 2023Syria: 4.92% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIsrael: 2.83 births per woman in 2023Syria: 2.71 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIsrael: 91.6% in 2025Syria: 72.1% in 2025
- Median ageIsrael: 29.2 years in 2023Syria: 22.3 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIsrael: 12.4% in 2023Syria: 4.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateIsrael: 1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Syria: 32.1 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIsrael: 7.81% of GDP in 2025Syria: 4.06% of GDP in 2010
- Military spending per personIsrael: $5,108 in 2025Syria: $110 in 2011
- Military share of state spendingIsrael: 17.8% of government spending in 2025Syria: 13.6% of government spending in 2010
- National powerIsrael: 0.38% of world capability in 2022Syria: 0.29% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIsrael: 4.23% of the labour force in 2020Syria: 5.44% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIsrael: 537 million TIV in 2025Syria: 2 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIsrael: 2.62 billion TIV in 2025Syria: 30 million TIV in 2010