North Macedonia vs Serbia
North Macedonia vs Serbia: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 16,000 people in North Macedonia and 32,000 people in Serbia, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Serbia, by 16,000 people, or 2 times that in North Macedonia.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Serbia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1992.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | North Macedonia | Serbia | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 16,000 | 32,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 16,000 | 32,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 16,000 | 32,150 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 16,000 | 32,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 15,600 | 31,850 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 15,600 | 28,150 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 8,000 | 28,150 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 8,000 | 28,150 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 8,000 | 28,150 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 8,000 | 28,150 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 8,000 | 29,130 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 8,000 | 29,130 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 19,000 | 24,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 19,000 | 24,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 19,000 | 24,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 19,000 | 110,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 17,000 | 110,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 20,400 | 109,200 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 19,900 | 124,500 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 26,000 | 198,500 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 23,500 | 135,700 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 23,500 | 146,700 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 27,500 | 152,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 22,900 | 152,200 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 17,900 | 151,900 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 17,900 | 164,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 10,000 | 130,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 10,000 | 100,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 10,000 | 137,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | – | 169,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | – | 180,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | – | 225,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | – | – | 22.2 million |
| 1918 | – | 201,000 | – |
| 1917 | – | 156,000 | – |
| 1916 | – | 102,000 | – |
| 1915 | – | 84,000 | – |
| 1914 | – | 41,000 | – |
| 1913 | – | 32,000 | – |
| 1912 | – | 31,000 | – |
| 1911 | – | 30,000 | – |
| 1910 | – | 35,000 | – |
| 1909 | – | 36,000 | – |
| 1908 | – | 29,000 | – |
| 1907 | – | 34,000 | – |
| 1906 | – | 28,000 | – |
| 1905 | – | 27,000 | – |
| 1904 | – | 27,000 | – |
| 1903 | – | 26,000 | – |
| 1902 | – | 24,000 | – |
| 1901 | – | 22,000 | – |
| 1900 | – | 22,000 | – |
| 1899 | – | 23,000 | – |
| 1898 | – | 23,000 | – |
| 1897 | – | 22,000 | – |
| 1896 | – | 22,000 | – |
| 1895 | – | 19,000 | – |
| 1894 | – | 17,000 | – |
| 1893 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1892 | – | 12,000 | – |
| 1891 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1890 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1889 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1888 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1887 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1886 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1885 | – | 13,000 | – |
| 1884 | – | 18,000 | – |
| 1883 | – | 10,000 | – |
| 1882 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1881 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1880 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1879 | – | 7,000 | – |
| 1878 | – | 7,000 | – |
- 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 1989: 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
North Macedonia vs Serbia
Health
- Life expectancyNorth Macedonia: 77.4 years in 2023Serbia: 76.8 years in 2023
- Child mortalityNorth Macedonia: 0.3 per 100 live births in 2024Serbia: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityNorth Macedonia: 4.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023Serbia: 4.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterNorth Macedonia: 80.5% in 2022Serbia: 75.1% in 2022
- DepressionNorth Macedonia: 2.33% in 2017Serbia: 2.57% in 2017
- Suicide rateNorth Macedonia: 6.8 per 100,000 people in 2017Serbia: 12.7 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationNorth Macedonia: 1.83 million people in 2023Serbia: 6.77 million people in 2023
- Population growthNorth Macedonia: -0.47% a year in 2023Serbia: -0.44% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateNorth Macedonia: 1.47 births per woman in 2023Serbia: 1.5 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationNorth Macedonia: 62.9% in 2025Serbia: 62.6% in 2025
- Median ageNorth Macedonia: 40.3 years in 2023Serbia: 43.9 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overNorth Macedonia: 17.5% in 2023Serbia: 22.3% in 2023
- Net migration rateNorth Macedonia: -3.1 per 1,000 people in 2023Serbia: 0.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingNorth Macedonia: 1.97% of GDP in 2025Serbia: 2.76% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsNorth Macedonia: $346M in 2025Serbia: $2.55B in 2025
- Military spending per personNorth Macedonia: $206 in 2025Serbia: $414 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingNorth Macedonia: 5.1% of government spending in 2025Serbia: 6.4% of government spending in 2025
- National powerNorth Macedonia: 0.02% of world capability in 2022Serbia: 0.09% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersNorth Macedonia: 2% of the labour force in 2020Serbia: 1.01% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsNorth Macedonia: 9 million TIV in 2025Serbia: 146 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsNorth Macedonia: 59 million TIV in 2023Serbia: 39 million TIV in 2025