Nepal vs Sri Lanka
Nepal vs Sri Lanka: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 112,000 people in Nepal and 317,000 people in Sri Lanka, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Sri Lanka, by 205,000 people, or 2.83 times that in Nepal.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Sri Lanka has been higher since 1991, when it overtook Nepal.
- In 2020, Nepal ranked 52 and Sri Lanka ranked 22 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Nepal | Sri Lanka | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 112,000 | 317,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 112,000 | 317,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 111,600 | 317,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 112,000 | 317,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 158,600 | 305,200 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 158,600 | 265,200 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 157,800 | 223,100 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 157,800 | 223,100 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 157,800 | 223,100 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 157,800 | 223,100 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 157,800 | 223,100 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 157,800 | 223,100 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 131,000 | 213,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 131,000 | 213,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 131,000 | 213,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 131,000 | 200,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 131,000 | 239,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 103,000 | 240,900 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 91,000 | 246,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 86,000 | 209,600 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 90,000 | 203,600 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 90,000 | 218,300 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 90,000 | 225,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 86,000 | 227,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 71,000 | 225,200 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 63,000 | 235,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 35,000 | 110,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 35,000 | 110,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 35,000 | 110,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 35,000 | 110,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 35,000 | 22,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 35,000 | 22,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 25,000 | 21,600 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 25,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1983 | 25,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1982 | 24,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1981 | 24,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1980 | 21,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1979 | 25,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1978 | 32,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1977 | 37,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1976 | 32,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1975 | 32,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1974 | 32,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1973 | 32,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1972 | 32,000 | 16,000 | – |
| 1971 | 29,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1970 | 29,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1969 | 29,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1968 | 22,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1967 | 22,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1966 | 22,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1965 | 22,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1964 | 20,000 | 9,000 | – |
| 1963 | 20,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1962 | 20,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1961 | 20,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1960 | 20,000 | 6,000 | – |
| 1959 | 20,000 | 4,000 | – |
| 1958 | 20,000 | 3,000 | – |
| 1957 | 20,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1956 | 20,000 | 1,000 | – |
| 1955 | 20,000 | 1,000 | – |
| 1954 | 20,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1953 | 20,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1952 | 20,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1951 | 20,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1950 | 20,000 | 2,000 | – |
| 1949 | 20,000 | 1,000 | – |
| 1948 | 20,000 | 0 | – |
| 1947 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1945 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1944 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1943 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1942 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1941 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1940 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 20,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 25,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 30,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 30,000 | – | – |
- 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
Nepal vs Sri Lanka
Health
- Life expectancyNepal: 70.4 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 77.5 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNepal: 2.5 per 100 live births in 2024Sri Lanka: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNepal: 21.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Sri Lanka: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNepal: 16.1% in 2022Sri Lanka: 47.1% in 2022
- DepressionNepal: 3.61% in 2017Sri Lanka: 3.44% in 2017
- Suicide rateNepal: 8.4 per 100,000 people in 2017Sri Lanka: 19.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNepal: 29.7 million people in 2023Sri Lanka: 23 million people in 2023
- Population growthNepal: -0.14% a year in 2023Sri Lanka: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNepal: 1.98 births per woman in 2023Sri Lanka: 1.97 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNepal: 67% in 2025Sri Lanka: 20.5% in 2025
- Median ageNepal: 24.7 years in 2023Sri Lanka: 32.8 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNepal: 6.4% in 2023Sri Lanka: 11.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateNepal: -13.8 per 1,000 people in 2023Sri Lanka: -1.2 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNepal: 0.97% of GDP in 2025Sri Lanka: 1.31% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNepal: $429M in 2025Sri Lanka: $1.36B in 2025
- Military spending per personNepal: $14 in 2025Sri Lanka: $60 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNepal: 4.5% of government spending in 2025Sri Lanka: 4.9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerNepal: 0.18% of world capability in 2022Sri Lanka: 0.31% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNepal: 1.4% of the labour force in 2020Sri Lanka: 3.74% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNepal: 6 million TIV in 2025Sri Lanka: 11 million TIV in 2025