Russia vs Ukraine

Russia vs Ukraine: Armed forces personnel

Armed forces personnel in 2020: 1.45 million people in Russia and 298,000 people in Ukraine, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Russia, by 1.16 million people, or 4.88 times that in Ukraine.

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Russia vs Ukraine: Armed forces personnelArmed forces personnel in 2020: 1.45 million people in Russia and 298,000 people in Ukraine, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in Russia, by 1.16 million people, or 4.88 times that in Ukraine.
RussiaUkraineEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • Russia has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1992.
  • In 2020, Russia ranked 4 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

YearRussiaUkraineWorld
20201.45 million298,00027.4 million
20191.45 million311,00027.7 million
20181.45 million297,00027.7 million
20171.45 million297,00027.4 million
20161.45 million292,00027.5 million
20151.49 million256,00027.4 million
20141.29 million204,00027.3 million
20131.26 million121,50027.2 million
20121.36 million214,90028.2 million
20111.36 million214,90028 million
20101.43 million214,80028.1 million
20091.5 million214,80027.9 million
20081.48 million215,00027.5 million
20071.48 million215,00027.3 million
20061.45 million215,00027 million
20051.45 million273,00028.5 million
20041.45 million271,00027.1 million
20031.37 million403,00028.2 million
20021.4 million414,80028.3 million
20011.39 million419,80028.2 million
20001.43 million420,40029.4 million
19991.48 million428,00029.6 million
19981.7 million449,40029.9 million
19971.82 million453,40029.9 million
19961.62 million466,80030.2 million
19951.8 million518,50030.2 million
19941.4 million350,00023.2 million
19931.5 million380,00023.7 million
19921.9 million430,00024.5 million
1991––22.7 million
1990––23.9 million
1989––24.3 million
1985––22.2 million
19223.6 million––
19215.5 million––
19203.05 million––
19191.55 million––
  • 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 1992: 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

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