Poland vs Ukraine
Poland vs Ukraine: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 189,000 people in Poland and 298,000 people in Ukraine, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Ukraine, by 109,000 people, or 1.58 times that in Poland.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- Ukraine has been higher since 2014, when it overtook Poland.
- In 2020, Poland ranked 34 and Ukraine ranked 24 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Poland | Ukraine | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 189,000 | 298,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 189,000 | 311,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 196,700 | 297,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 191,000 | 297,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 178,400 | 292,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 172,700 | 256,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 172,700 | 204,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 172,700 | 121,500 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 172,700 | 214,900 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 118,100 | 214,900 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 121,400 | 214,800 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 121,400 | 214,800 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 143,000 | 215,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 142,000 | 215,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 148,000 | 215,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 162,000 | 273,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 162,000 | 271,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 184,400 | 403,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 184,400 | 414,800 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 228,000 | 419,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 238,800 | 420,400 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 264,100 | 428,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 264,100 | 449,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 265,200 | 453,400 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 272,900 | 466,800 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 302,000 | 518,500 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 255,000 | 350,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 260,000 | 380,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 270,000 | 430,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 305,000 | – | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 313,000 | – | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 350,000 | – | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 319,000 | – | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 434,000 | – | – |
| 1983 | 426,000 | – | – |
| 1982 | 420,000 | – | – |
| 1981 | 414,000 | – | – |
| 1980 | 408,000 | – | – |
| 1979 | 399,000 | – | – |
| 1978 | 382,000 | – | – |
| 1977 | 370,000 | – | – |
| 1976 | 435,000 | – | – |
| 1975 | 435,000 | – | – |
| 1974 | 366,000 | – | – |
| 1973 | 328,000 | – | – |
| 1972 | 318,000 | – | – |
| 1971 | 315,000 | – | – |
| 1970 | 314,000 | – | – |
| 1969 | 312,000 | – | – |
| 1968 | 310,000 | – | – |
| 1967 | 305,000 | – | – |
| 1966 | 303,000 | – | – |
| 1965 | 302,000 | – | – |
| 1964 | 302,000 | – | – |
| 1963 | 303,000 | – | – |
| 1962 | 310,000 | – | – |
| 1961 | 305,000 | – | – |
| 1960 | 200,000 | – | – |
| 1959 | 200,000 | – | – |
| 1958 | 300,000 | – | – |
| 1957 | 300,000 | – | – |
| 1956 | 300,000 | – | – |
| 1955 | 300,000 | – | – |
| 1954 | 300,000 | – | – |
| 1953 | 450,000 | – | – |
| 1952 | 450,000 | – | – |
| 1951 | 400,000 | – | – |
| 1950 | 328,000 | – | – |
| 1949 | 255,000 | – | – |
| 1948 | 204,000 | – | – |
| 1947 | 168,000 | – | – |
| 1946 | 132,000 | – | – |
| 1945 | 197,000 | – | – |
| 1939 | 275,000 | – | – |
| 1938 | 308,000 | – | – |
| 1937 | 281,000 | – | – |
| 1936 | 272,000 | – | – |
| 1935 | 271,000 | – | – |
| 1934 | 272,000 | – | – |
| 1933 | 269,000 | – | – |
| 1932 | 269,000 | – | – |
| 1931 | 269,000 | – | – |
| 1930 | 263,000 | – | – |
| 1929 | 268,000 | – | – |
| 1928 | 268,000 | – | – |
| 1927 | 265,000 | – | – |
| 1926 | 293,000 | – | – |
| 1925 | 272,000 | – | – |
| 1924 | 278,000 | – | – |
| 1923 | 270,000 | – | – |
| 1922 | 252,000 | – | – |
| 1921 | 255,000 | – | – |
| 1920 | 962,000 | – | – |
| 1919 | 300,000 | – | – |
- 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
Poland vs Ukraine
Health
- Life expectancyPoland: 78.6 years in 2023Ukraine: 73.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalityPoland: 0.4 per 100 live births in 2024Ukraine: 0.8 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityPoland: 3.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023Ukraine: 5.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterPoland: 88.9% in 2022Ukraine: 87.6% in 2022
- DepressionPoland: 2.25% in 2017Ukraine: 4.07% in 2017
- Suicide ratePoland: 14 per 100,000 people in 2017Ukraine: 25.6 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationPoland: 38.8 million people in 2023Ukraine: 37.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthPoland: -0.26% a year in 2023Ukraine: -1.55% a year in 2023
- Fertility ratePoland: 1.3 births per woman in 2023Ukraine: 0.98 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationPoland: 60.1% in 2025Ukraine: 69.6% in 2025
- Median agePoland: 41.3 years in 2023Ukraine: 42 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overPoland: 19.6% in 2023Ukraine: 18.6% in 2023
- Net migration ratePoland: -0.2 per 1,000 people in 2023Ukraine: -8 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingPoland: 4.5% of GDP in 2025Ukraine: 39.56% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsPoland: $42.5B in 2025Ukraine: $77.6B in 2025
- Military spending per personPoland: $1,219 in 2025Ukraine: $2,197 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingPoland: 9% of government spending in 2025Ukraine: 62.9% of government spending in 2025
- National powerPoland: 0.52% of world capability in 2022Ukraine: 0.86% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersPoland: 1.04% of the labour force in 2020Ukraine: 1.43% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsPoland: 2.17 billion TIV in 2025Ukraine: 2.26 billion TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsPoland: 59 million TIV in 2025Ukraine: 120 million TIV in 2025