Israel vs United States

Israel vs United States: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 178,000 people in Israel and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in United States, by 1.22 million people, or 7.84 times that in Israel.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Israel vs United States: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 178,000 people in Israel and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in United States, by 1.22 million people, or 7.84 times that in Israel.
IsraelUnited StatesEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
  • In 2020, Israel ranked 36 and United States ranked 5 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
  • The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.

Every year

people · IISS

YearIsraelUnited StatesWorld
2020178,0001.4 million27.4 million
2019178,0001.39 million27.7 million
2018177,5001.38 million27.7 million
2017178,0001.36 million27.4 million
2016184,5001.35 million27.5 million
2015184,5001.35 million27.4 million
2014184,5001.38 million27.3 million
2013184,5001.43 million27.2 million
2012184,5001.49 million28.2 million
2011184,6001.52 million28 million
2010184,6001.57 million28.1 million
2009184,6001.56 million27.9 million
2008185,0001.54 million27.5 million
2007185,0001.56 million27.3 million
2006185,0001.5 million27 million
2005176,0001.55 million28.5 million
2004176,0001.47 million27.1 million
2003175,0001.48 million28.2 million
2002169,5001.47 million28.3 million
2001171,5001.42 million28.2 million
2000180,5001.46 million29.4 million
1999179,6001.58 million29.6 million
1998181,1001.59 million29.9 million
1997181,1001.53 million29.9 million
1996181,1001.57 million30.2 million
1995178,1001.64 million30.2 million
1994185,0001.72 million23.2 million
1993181,0001.82 million23.7 million
1992181,0001.92 million24.5 million
1991190,0002.12 million22.7 million
1990190,0002.18 million23.9 million
1989191,0002.24 million24.3 million
1985142,0002.15 million22.2 million
1984205,0002.22 million–
1983205,0002.2 million–
1982205,0002.17 million–
1981201,0002.1 million–
1980196,0002.05 million–
1979181,0002.03 million–
1978179,0002.06 million–
1977179,0002.06 million–
1976172,0002.08 million–
1975172,0002.1 million–
1974182,0002.15 million–
1973130,0002.21 million–
1972130,0002.32 million–
1971130,0002.72 million–
1970105,0003.07 million–
1969100,0003.46 million–
196895,0003.55 million–
196775,0003.38 million–
196665,0003.09 million–
196565,0002.66 million–
196465,0002.69 million–
196365,0002.7 million–
196265,0002.81 million–
196163,0002.31 million–
196065,0002.31 million–
195965,0002.33 million–
195865,0002.41 million–
195770,0002.8 million–
195675,0002.81 million–
195575,0002.94 million–
195475,0003.3 million–
195375,0003.56 million–
195275,0003.64 million–
195175,0003.25 million–
195078,0001.46 million–
194982,0001.62 million–
194885,0001.45 million–
1947–1.58 million–
1946–3.03 million–
1945–12.1 million–
1944–11.5 million–
1943–9.05 million–
1942–3.86 million–
1941–1.8 million–
1940–458,000–
1939–334,000–
1938–323,000–
1937–312,000–
1936–291,000–
1935–252,000–
1934–247,000–
1933–244,000–
1932–245,000–
1931–253,000–
1930–256,000–
1929–255,000–
1928–251,000–
1927–249,000–
1926–247,000–
1925–252,000–
1924–261,000–
1923–247,000–
1922–270,000–
1921–387,000–
1920–343,000–
1919–1.17 million–
1918–2.9 million–
1917–644,000–
1916–179,000–
1915–174,000–
1914–166,000–
1913–155,000–
1912–153,000–
1911–145,000–
1910–139,000–
1909–142,000–
1908–129,000–
1907–108,000–
1906–112,000–
1905–108,000–
1904–110,000–
1903–106,000–
1902–111,000–
1901–112,000–
1900–126,000–
1899–100,000–
1898–236,000–
1897–44,000–
1896–42,000–
1895–42,000–
1894–42,000–
1893–39,000–
1892–39,000–
1891–38,000–
1890–39,000–
1889–39,000–
1888–39,000–
1887–39,000–
1886–39,000–
1885–39,000–
1884–39,000–
1883–37,000–
1882–38,000–
1881–38,000–
1880–38,000–
1879–38,000–
1878–36,000–
1877–34,000–
1876–41,000–
1875–38,000–
1874–44,000–
1873–43,000–
1872–42,000–
1871–42,000–
1870–50,000–
1869–52,000–
1868–66,000–
1867–75,000–
1866–77,000–
1865–1.06 million–
1864–1.03 million–
1863–960,000–
1862–673,000–
1861–217,000–
1860–28,000–
1859–29,000–
1858–29,000–
1857–27,000–
1856–26,000–
1855–26,000–
1854–21,000–
1853–21,000–
1852–21,000–
1851–21,000–
1850–21,000–
1849–23,000–
1848–60,000–
1847–58,000–
1846–39,000–
1845–21,000–
1844–21,000–
1843–21,000–
1842–23,000–
1841–21,000–
1840–22,000–
1839–19,000–
1838–18,000–
1837–22,000–
1836–17,000–
1835–14,000–
1834–13,000–
1833–13,000–
1832–12,000–
1831–11,000–
1830–12,000–
1829–12,000–
1828–11,000–
1827–12,000–
1826–12,000–
1825–11,000–
1824–11,000–
1823–11,000–
1822–10,000–
1821–11,000–
1820–15,000–
1819–13,000–
1818–14,000–
1817–15,000–
1816–17,000–
  • 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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