Israel vs United Kingdom
Israel vs United Kingdom: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 178,000 people in Israel and 153,000 people in United Kingdom, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Israel, by 25,000 people, or 1.16 times that in United Kingdom.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Israel has been higher since 2006, when it overtook United Kingdom.
- In 2020, Israel ranked 36 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 | Israel | United Kingdom | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 178,000 | 153,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 178,000 | 149,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 177,500 | 148,500 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 178,000 | 148,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 184,500 | 150,300 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 184,500 | 152,400 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 184,500 | 154,700 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 184,500 | 159,200 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 184,500 | 169,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 184,600 | 165,700 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 184,600 | 174,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 184,600 | 178,500 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 185,000 | 160,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 185,000 | 160,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 185,000 | 181,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 176,000 | 217,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 176,000 | 205,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 175,000 | 212,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 169,500 | 210,400 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 171,500 | 211,400 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 180,500 | 212,500 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 179,600 | 218,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 181,100 | 218,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 181,100 | 218,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 181,100 | 221,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 178,100 | 233,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 185,000 | 257,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 181,000 | 271,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 181,000 | 293,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 190,000 | 301,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 190,000 | 308,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 191,000 | 318,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 142,000 | 334,000 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 205,000 | 336,000 | – |
| 1983 | 205,000 | 333,000 | – |
| 1982 | 205,000 | 335,000 | – |
| 1981 | 201,000 | 341,000 | – |
| 1980 | 196,000 | 330,000 | – |
| 1979 | 181,000 | 324,000 | – |
| 1978 | 179,000 | 320,000 | – |
| 1977 | 179,000 | 326,000 | – |
| 1976 | 172,000 | 337,000 | – |
| 1975 | 172,000 | 348,000 | – |
| 1974 | 182,000 | 359,000 | – |
| 1973 | 130,000 | 377,000 | – |
| 1972 | 130,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1971 | 130,000 | 370,000 | – |
| 1970 | 105,000 | 390,000 | – |
| 1969 | 100,000 | 390,000 | – |
| 1968 | 95,000 | 410,000 | – |
| 1967 | 75,000 | 425,000 | – |
| 1966 | 65,000 | 425,000 | – |
| 1965 | 65,000 | 425,000 | – |
| 1964 | 65,000 | 435,000 | – |
| 1963 | 65,000 | 450,000 | – |
| 1962 | 65,000 | 475,000 | – |
| 1961 | 63,000 | 475,000 | – |
| 1960 | 65,000 | 519,000 | – |
| 1959 | 65,000 | 565,000 | – |
| 1958 | 65,000 | 614,000 | – |
| 1957 | 70,000 | 702,000 | – |
| 1956 | 75,000 | 761,000 | – |
| 1955 | 75,000 | 809,000 | – |
| 1954 | 75,000 | 839,000 | – |
| 1953 | 75,000 | 865,000 | – |
| 1952 | 75,000 | 872,000 | – |
| 1951 | 75,000 | 826,000 | – |
| 1950 | 78,000 | 689,000 | – |
| 1949 | 82,000 | 770,000 | – |
| 1948 | 85,000 | 847,000 | – |
| 1947 | – | 1.3 million | – |
| 1946 | – | 2.05 million | – |
| 1945 | – | 5.09 million | – |
| 1944 | – | 4.9 million | – |
| 1943 | – | 4.15 million | – |
| 1942 | – | 3.39 million | – |
| 1941 | – | 2.3 million | – |
| 1940 | – | 1.02 million | – |
| 1939 | – | 394,000 | – |
| 1938 | – | 376,000 | – |
| 1937 | – | 350,000 | – |
| 1936 | – | 336,000 | – |
| 1935 | – | 321,000 | – |
| 1934 | – | 318,000 | – |
| 1933 | – | 316,000 | – |
| 1932 | – | 317,000 | – |
| 1931 | – | 319,000 | – |
| 1930 | – | 318,000 | – |
| 1929 | – | 325,000 | – |
| 1928 | – | 330,000 | – |
| 1927 | – | 338,000 | – |
| 1926 | – | 341,000 | – |
| 1925 | – | 342,000 | – |
| 1924 | – | 337,000 | – |
| 1923 | – | 337,000 | – |
| 1922 | – | 368,000 | – |
| 1921 | – | 448,000 | – |
| 1920 | – | 596,000 | – |
| 1919 | – | 1.33 million | – |
| 1918 | – | 4.22 million | – |
| 1917 | – | 4.43 million | – |
| 1915 | – | 4.35 million | – |
| 1914 | – | 532,000 | – |
| 1913 | – | 533,000 | – |
| 1912 | – | 523,000 | – |
| 1911 | – | 376,000 | – |
| 1910 | – | 372,000 | – |
| 1909 | – | 381,000 | – |
| 1908 | – | 364,000 | – |
| 1907 | – | 369,000 | – |
| 1906 | – | 384,000 | – |
| 1905 | – | 394,000 | – |
| 1904 | – | 409,000 | – |
| 1903 | – | 416,000 | – |
| 1902 | – | 489,000 | – |
| 1901 | – | 521,000 | – |
| 1900 | – | 487,000 | – |
| 1899 | – | 331,000 | – |
| 1898 | – | 331,000 | – |
| 1897 | – | 319,000 | – |
| 1896 | – | 315,000 | – |
| 1895 | – | 309,000 | – |
| 1894 | – | 302,000 | – |
| 1893 | – | 294,000 | – |
| 1892 | – | 288,000 | – |
| 1891 | – | 281,000 | – |
| 1890 | – | 278,000 | – |
| 1889 | – | 275,000 | – |
| 1888 | – | 273,000 | – |
| 1887 | – | 273,000 | – |
| 1886 | – | 265,000 | – |
| 1885 | – | 256,000 | – |
| 1884 | – | 240,000 | – |
| 1883 | – | 239,000 | – |
| 1882 | – | 247,000 | – |
| 1881 | – | 247,000 | – |
| 1880 | – | 248,000 | – |
| 1879 | – | 260,000 | – |
| 1878 | – | 261,000 | – |
| 1877 | – | 251,000 | – |
| 1876 | – | 244,000 | – |
| 1875 | – | 245,000 | – |
| 1874 | – | 248,000 | – |
| 1873 | – | 252,000 | – |
| 1872 | – | 254,000 | – |
| 1871 | – | 241,000 | – |
| 1870 | – | 257,000 | – |
| 1869 | – | 270,000 | – |
| 1868 | – | 279,000 | – |
| 1867 | – | 283,000 | – |
| 1866 | – | 286,000 | – |
| 1865 | – | 296,000 | – |
| 1864 | – | 290,000 | – |
| 1863 | – | 312,000 | – |
| 1862 | – | 305,000 | – |
| 1861 | – | 316,000 | – |
| 1860 | – | 347,000 | – |
| 1859 | – | 315,000 | – |
| 1858 | – | 292,000 | – |
| 1857 | – | 272,000 | – |
| 1856 | – | 382,000 | – |
| 1855 | – | 329,000 | – |
| 1854 | – | 234,000 | – |
| 1853 | – | 213,000 | – |
| 1852 | – | 201,000 | – |
| 1851 | – | 198,000 | – |
| 1850 | – | 201,000 | – |
| 1849 | – | 203,000 | – |
| 1848 | – | 208,000 | – |
| 1847 | – | 193,000 | – |
| 1846 | – | 191,000 | – |
| 1845 | – | 178,000 | – |
| 1844 | – | 185,000 | – |
| 1843 | – | 158,000 | – |
| 1842 | – | 184,000 | – |
| 1841 | – | 173,000 | – |
| 1840 | – | 168,000 | – |
| 1839 | – | 159,000 | – |
| 1838 | – | 155,000 | – |
| 1837 | – | 143,000 | – |
| 1836 | – | 143,000 | – |
| 1835 | – | 136,000 | – |
| 1834 | – | 137,000 | – |
| 1833 | – | 144,000 | – |
| 1832 | – | 145,000 | – |
| 1831 | – | 150,000 | – |
| 1830 | – | 140,000 | – |
| 1829 | – | 148,000 | – |
| 1828 | – | 155,000 | – |
| 1827 | – | 155,000 | – |
| 1826 | – | 149,000 | – |
| 1825 | – | 132,000 | – |
| 1824 | – | 132,000 | – |
| 1823 | – | 125,000 | – |
| 1822 | – | 125,000 | – |
| 1821 | – | 139,000 | – |
| 1820 | – | 144,000 | – |
| 1819 | – | 143,000 | – |
| 1818 | – | 173,000 | – |
| 1817 | – | 190,000 | – |
| 1816 | – | 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
Israel vs United Kingdom
Health
- Life expectancyIsrael: 82.4 years in 2023United Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityIsrael: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024United Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityIsrael: 2.8 per 1,000 live births in 2023United Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterIsrael: 99.5% in 2022United Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022
- DepressionIsrael: 3.83% in 2017United Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017
- Suicide rateIsrael: 5.7 per 100,000 people in 2017United Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationIsrael: 9.26 million people in 2023United Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthIsrael: 1.42% a year in 2023United Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateIsrael: 2.83 births per woman in 2023United Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationIsrael: 91.6% in 2025United Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025
- Median ageIsrael: 29.2 years in 2023United Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overIsrael: 12.4% in 2023United Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023
- Net migration rateIsrael: 1.1 per 1,000 people in 2023United Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingIsrael: 7.81% of GDP in 2025United Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsIsrael: $43.7B in 2025United Kingdom: $88B in 2025
- Military spending per personIsrael: $5,108 in 2025United Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingIsrael: 17.8% of government spending in 2025United Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerIsrael: 0.38% of world capability in 2022United Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersIsrael: 4.23% of the labour force in 2020United Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsIsrael: 537 million TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsIsrael: 2.62 billion TIV in 2025United Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025