Italy vs Spain

Italy vs Spain: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 338,000 people in Italy and 199,000 people in Spain, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Italy, by 139,000 people, or 1.7 times that in Spain.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Italy vs Spain: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 338,000 people in Italy and 199,000 people in Spain, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Italy, by 139,000 people, or 1.7 times that in Spain.
ItalySpainEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • Italy has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
  • In 2020, Italy ranked 20 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

YearItalySpainWorld
2020338,000199,00027.4 million
2019342,000199,00027.7 million
2018341,500196,40027.7 million
2017347,000196,00027.4 million
2016356,900198,00027.5 million
2015356,900200,00027.4 million
2014356,900200,00027.3 million
2013359,500214,00027.2 million
2012359,500215,60028.2 million
2011367,600215,70028 million
2010359,400223,20028.1 million
2009326,900222,40027.9 million
2008436,000223,00027.5 million
2007436,000222,00027.3 million
2006440,000222,00027 million
2005445,000220,00028.5 million
2004445,000220,00027.1 million
2003454,300224,00028.2 million
2002471,100251,20028.3 million
2001482,600214,70028.2 million
2000503,100241,80029.4 million
1999521,200262,30029.6 million
1998554,100269,70029.9 million
1997580,900273,30029.9 million
1996580,900282,30030.2 million
1995585,000281,60030.2 million
1994436,000213,00023.2 million
1993450,000204,00023.7 million
1992471,000198,00024.5 million
1991473,000246,00022.7 million
1990493,000263,00023.9 million
1989506,000277,00024.3 million
1985385,100320,00022.2 million
1984508,000342,000–
1983498,000355,000–
1982517,000372,000–
1981505,000366,000–
1980500,000356,000–
1979490,000374,000–
1978489,000372,000–
1977475,000373,000–
1976455,000368,000–
1975459,000375,000–
1974534,000375,000–
1973548,000365,000–
1972510,000365,000–
1971435,000365,000–
1970435,000365,000–
1969435,000365,000–
1968430,000370,000–
1967430,000370,000–
1966435,000375,000–
1965460,000370,000–
1964590,000370,000–
1963515,000370,000–
1962470,000340,000–
1961470,000345,000–
1960321,000371,000–
1959321,000398,000–
1958321,000424,000–
1957321,000451,000–
1956320,000478,000–
1955318,000505,000–
1954315,000505,000–
1953330,000503,000–
1952325,000528,000–
1951320,000528,000–
1950235,000494,000–
1949330,000444,000–
1948310,000464,000–
1947280,000464,000–
1946260,000462,000–
1945276,000477,000–
1944283,000483,000–
19431.7 million497,000–
19423.75 million508,000–
1941–522,000–
19401.63 million531,000–
1939581,000539,000–
1938486,000550,000–
1937466,000500,000–
1936343,000475,000–
19351.38 million141,000–
1934362,000138,000–
1933363,000146,000–
1932354,000138,000–
1931314,000134,000–
1930333,000134,000–
1929315,000132,000–
1928317,000128,000–
1927318,000129,000–
1926317,000154,000–
1925299,000152,000–
1924380,000161,000–
1923311,000199,000–
1922291,000235,000–
1921290,000207,000–
1920840,000236,000–
19192 million224,000–
19183.16 million212,000–
19173.16 million198,000–
19163.16 million189,000–
19153.16 million175,000–
1914344,000162,000–
1913288,000145,000–
1912398,000145,000–
1911291,000147,000–
1910252,000137,000–
1909251,000111,000–
1908227,000111,000–
1907219,000132,000–
1906267,000113,000–
1905266,000113,000–
1904263,000112,000–
1903270,000112,000–
1902276,000112,000–
1901262,000114,000–
1900262,000111,000–
1899264,000132,000–
1898318,000153,000–
1897247,000154,000–
1896226,000149,000–
1895229,000150,000–
1894250,000136,000–
1893264,000133,000–
1892241,000131,000–
1891265,000137,000–
1890257,000139,000–
1889256,000146,000–
1888237,000149,000–
1887230,000153,000–
1886227,000153,000–
1885226,000176,000–
1884223,000150,000–
1883163,000154,000–
1882162,000157,000–
1881167,000160,000–
1880167,000159,000–
1879167,000154,000–
1878203,000150,000–
1877152,000104,000–
1876156,000104,000–
1875179,000111,000–
1874177,000103,000–
1873161,000100,000–
1872175,00097,000–
1871353,00097,000–
1870174,000124,000–
1869204,000102,000–
1868294,00098,000–
1867394,000109,000–
1866233,000107,000–
1865209,000124,000–
1864365,000118,000–
1863275,000109,000–
1862185,000117,000–
1861–123,000–
1860–125,000–
1859–124,000–
1858–123,000–
1857–120,000–
1856–104,000–
1855–92,000–
1854–103,000–
1853–105,000–
1852–110,000–
1851–114,000–
1850–117,000–
1849–118,000–
1848–120,000–
1847–121,000–
1846–121,000–
1845–113,000–
1844–107,000–
1843–100,000–
1842–92,000–
1841–86,000–
1840–79,000–
1839–79,000–
1838–84,000–
1837–89,000–
1836–95,000–
1835–101,000–
1834–110,000–
1833–60,000–
1832–89,000–
1831–130,000–
1830–83,000–
1829–87,000–
1828–91,000–
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

Italy vs Spain

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