Japan vs United Kingdom

Japan vs United Kingdom: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 261,000 people in Japan and 153,000 people in United Kingdom, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Japan, by 108,000 people, or 1.71 times that in United Kingdom.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Japan vs United Kingdom: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 261,000 people in Japan and 153,000 people in United Kingdom, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Japan, by 108,000 people, or 1.71 times that in United Kingdom.
JapanUnited KingdomEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • Japan has been higher since 1995, when it overtook United Kingdom.
  • In 2020, Japan ranked 27 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

YearJapanUnited KingdomWorld
2020261,000153,00027.4 million
2019261,000149,00027.7 million
2018261,200148,50027.7 million
2017261,000148,00027.4 million
2016260,900150,30027.5 million
2015259,800152,40027.4 million
2014259,800154,70027.3 million
2013259,800159,20027.2 million
2012259,800169,20028.2 million
2011260,100165,70028 million
2010260,400174,00028.1 million
2009260,400178,50027.9 million
2008242,000160,00027.5 million
2007242,000160,00027.3 million
2006252,000181,00027 million
2005272,000217,00028.5 million
2004251,000205,00027.1 million
2003252,100212,60028.2 million
2002252,100210,40028.3 million
2001252,100211,40028.2 million
2000248,700212,50029.4 million
1999254,600218,00029.6 million
1998254,600218,00029.9 million
1997247,600218,00029.9 million
1996247,500221,00030.2 million
1995251,500233,00030.2 million
1994233,000257,00023.2 million
1993242,000271,00023.7 million
1992242,000293,00024.5 million
1991250,000301,00022.7 million
1990250,000308,00023.9 million
1989247,000318,00024.3 million
1985243,000334,00022.2 million
1984241,000336,000–
1983241,000333,000–
1982243,000335,000–
1981241,000341,000–
1980242,000330,000–
1979239,000324,000–
1978239,000320,000–
1977236,000326,000–
1976236,000337,000–
1975237,000348,000–
1974237,000359,000–
1973233,000377,000–
1972233,000370,000–
1971234,000370,000–
1970236,000390,000–
1969236,000390,000–
1968235,000410,000–
1967231,000425,000–
1966227,000425,000–
1965246,000425,000–
1964244,000435,000–
1963243,000450,000–
1962235,000475,000–
1961230,000475,000–
1960263,000519,000–
1959255,000565,000–
1958243,000614,000–
1957224,000702,000–
1956215,000761,000–
1955196,000809,000–
1954165,000839,000–
1953123,000865,000–
1952119,000872,000–
1951–826,000–
1950–689,000–
1949–770,000–
1948–847,000–
1947–1.3 million–
1946–2.05 million–
19456.1 million5.09 million–
19444.33 million4.9 million–
19433.08 million4.15 million–
19423.08 million3.39 million–
19413.08 million2.3 million–
1940957,0001.02 million–
1939957,000394,000–
1938370,000376,000–
1937393,000350,000–
1936416,000336,000–
1935410,000321,000–
1934399,000318,000–
1933371,000316,000–
1932370,000317,000–
1931292,000319,000–
1930293,000318,000–
1929296,000325,000–
1928285,000330,000–
1927274,000338,000–
1926302,000341,000–
1925306,000342,000–
1924306,000337,000–
1923306,000337,000–
1922306,000368,000–
1921306,000448,000–
1920306,000596,000–
1919306,0001.33 million–
1918660,0004.22 million–
1917660,0004.43 million–
1916650,000––
1915650,0004.35 million–
1914300,000532,000–
1913296,000533,000–
1912275,000523,000–
1911274,000376,000–
1910283,000372,000–
1909273,000381,000–
1908273,000364,000–
1907262,000369,000–
1906266,000384,000–
1905250,000394,000–
1904218,000409,000–
1903214,000416,000–
1902209,000489,000–
1901206,000521,000–
1900182,000487,000–
1899147,000331,000–
1898156,000331,000–
1897132,000319,000–
1896103,000315,000–
1895207,000309,000–
189483,000302,000–
189371,000294,000–
189279,000288,000–
189189,000281,000–
189071,000278,000–
188969,000275,000–
188862,000273,000–
188762,000273,000–
188656,000265,000–
188552,000256,000–
188448,000240,000–
188348,000239,000–
188247,000247,000–
188146,000247,000–
188045,000248,000–
187944,000260,000–
187843,000261,000–
187738,000251,000–
187637,000244,000–
187541,000245,000–
187441,000248,000–
187340,000252,000–
187220,000254,000–
187117,000241,000–
18706,000257,000–
18696,000270,000–
18680279,000–
18670283,000–
18660286,000–
18650296,000–
18640290,000–
18630312,000–
186212,000305,000–
186112,000316,000–
186012,000347,000–
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

Japan vs United Kingdom

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