Malaysia vs Vietnam
Malaysia vs Vietnam: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 136,000 people in Malaysia and 522,000 people in Vietnam, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Vietnam, by 386,000 people, or 3.84 times that in Malaysia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Vietnam has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, Malaysia ranked 45 and Vietnam ranked 12 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Malaysia | Vietnam | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 136,000 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 136,000 | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 136,000 | 522,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 136,000 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 133,600 | 522,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 133,600 | 522,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 133,600 | 522,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 133,600 | 522,000 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 133,600 | 522,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 133,600 | 522,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 133,600 | 522,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 133,600 | 495,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 134,000 | 495,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 134,000 | 495,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 134,000 | 495,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 135,000 | 495,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 130,000 | – | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 124,100 | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 120,100 | 524,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 120,600 | 524,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 116,100 | 524,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 125,100 | 524,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 130,100 | 524,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 131,600 | 557,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 140,300 | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 140,300 | 622,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 115,000 | 700,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 115,000 | 857,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 128,000 | 857,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 128,000 | 1.04 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 130,000 | 1.05 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 115,000 | 1.25 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 110,000 | 1.03 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 125,000 | 1.23 million | – |
| 1983 | 99,000 | 1.03 million | – |
| 1982 | 95,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1981 | 90,000 | 1 million | – |
| 1980 | 83,000 | 900,000 | – |
| 1979 | 82,000 | 650,000 | – |
| 1978 | 82,000 | 660,000 | – |
| 1977 | 79,000 | 615,000 | – |
| 1976 | 80,000 | 637,000 | – |
| 1975 | 76,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 75,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 70,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 69,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 62,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 58,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 46,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 46,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 40,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 35,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 37,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 32,000 | – | – |
| 1963 | 14,000 | – | – |
| 1962 | 46,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 44,000 | – | – |
| 1960 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 18,000 | – | – |
- 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
Malaysia vs Vietnam
Health
- Life expectancyMalaysia: 76.7 years in 2023Vietnam: 74.6 years in 2023
- Child mortalityMalaysia: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024Vietnam: 1.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityMalaysia: 6.4 per 1,000 live births in 2023Vietnam: 15.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterMalaysia: 93.9% in 2022Vietnam: 57.8% in 2022
- DepressionMalaysia: 3.52% in 2017Vietnam: 2.88% in 2017
- Suicide rateMalaysia: 7.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Vietnam: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationMalaysia: 35.1 million people in 2023Vietnam: 100 million people in 2023
- Population growthMalaysia: 1.24% a year in 2023Vietnam: 0.64% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateMalaysia: 1.55 births per woman in 2023Vietnam: 1.91 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationMalaysia: 77.4% in 2025Vietnam: 38.8% in 2025
- Median ageMalaysia: 30.1 years in 2023Vietnam: 32.4 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overMalaysia: 7.5% in 2023Vietnam: 8.6% in 2023
- Net migration rateMalaysia: 5.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Vietnam: -0.8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingMalaysia: 1.04% of GDP in 2025Vietnam: 2.15% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsMalaysia: $4.55B in 2025Vietnam: $10.9B in 2025
- Military spending per personMalaysia: $138 in 2025Vietnam: $104 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingMalaysia: 4.4% of government spending in 2025Vietnam: 9.9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerMalaysia: 0.46% of world capability in 2022Vietnam: 1.11% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersMalaysia: 0.81% of the labour force in 2020Vietnam: 0.95% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsMalaysia: 7 million TIV in 2024Vietnam: 177 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsMalaysia: 20 million TIV in 2024Vietnam: 10 million TIV in 2018