United Kingdom vs United States
United Kingdom vs United States: Armed forces personnel
Armed forces personnel in 2020: 153,000 people in United Kingdom and 1.4 million people in United States, by IISS estimates. In 2020 the value was higher in United States, by 1.24 million people, or 9.12 times that in United Kingdom.
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- United States has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1985.
- In 2020, United Kingdom ranked 41 and United States ranked 5 of 170 countries, counting from the highest.
- The world as a whole: 27.4 million people in 2020.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | United Kingdom | United States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 153,000 | 1.4 million | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 149,000 | 1.39 million | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 148,500 | 1.38 million | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 148,000 | 1.36 million | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 150,300 | 1.35 million | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 152,400 | 1.35 million | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 154,700 | 1.38 million | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 159,200 | 1.43 million | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 169,200 | 1.49 million | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 165,700 | 1.52 million | 28 million |
| 2010 | 174,000 | 1.57 million | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 178,500 | 1.56 million | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 160,000 | 1.54 million | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 160,000 | 1.56 million | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 181,000 | 1.5 million | 27 million |
| 2005 | 217,000 | 1.55 million | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 205,000 | 1.47 million | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 212,600 | 1.48 million | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 210,400 | 1.47 million | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 211,400 | 1.42 million | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 212,500 | 1.46 million | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 218,000 | 1.58 million | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 218,000 | 1.59 million | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 218,000 | 1.53 million | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 221,000 | 1.57 million | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 233,000 | 1.64 million | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 257,000 | 1.72 million | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 271,000 | 1.82 million | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 293,000 | 1.92 million | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 301,000 | 2.12 million | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 308,000 | 2.18 million | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 318,000 | 2.24 million | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 334,000 | 2.15 million | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 336,000 | 2.22 million | – |
| 1983 | 333,000 | 2.2 million | – |
| 1982 | 335,000 | 2.17 million | – |
| 1981 | 341,000 | 2.1 million | – |
| 1980 | 330,000 | 2.05 million | – |
| 1979 | 324,000 | 2.03 million | – |
| 1978 | 320,000 | 2.06 million | – |
| 1977 | 326,000 | 2.06 million | – |
| 1976 | 337,000 | 2.08 million | – |
| 1975 | 348,000 | 2.1 million | – |
| 1974 | 359,000 | 2.15 million | – |
| 1973 | 377,000 | 2.21 million | – |
| 1972 | 370,000 | 2.32 million | – |
| 1971 | 370,000 | 2.72 million | – |
| 1970 | 390,000 | 3.07 million | – |
| 1969 | 390,000 | 3.46 million | – |
| 1968 | 410,000 | 3.55 million | – |
| 1967 | 425,000 | 3.38 million | – |
| 1966 | 425,000 | 3.09 million | – |
| 1965 | 425,000 | 2.66 million | – |
| 1964 | 435,000 | 2.69 million | – |
| 1963 | 450,000 | 2.7 million | – |
| 1962 | 475,000 | 2.81 million | – |
| 1961 | 475,000 | 2.31 million | – |
| 1960 | 519,000 | 2.31 million | – |
| 1959 | 565,000 | 2.33 million | – |
| 1958 | 614,000 | 2.41 million | – |
| 1957 | 702,000 | 2.8 million | – |
| 1956 | 761,000 | 2.81 million | – |
| 1955 | 809,000 | 2.94 million | – |
| 1954 | 839,000 | 3.3 million | – |
| 1953 | 865,000 | 3.56 million | – |
| 1952 | 872,000 | 3.64 million | – |
| 1951 | 826,000 | 3.25 million | – |
| 1950 | 689,000 | 1.46 million | – |
| 1949 | 770,000 | 1.62 million | – |
| 1948 | 847,000 | 1.45 million | – |
| 1947 | 1.3 million | 1.58 million | – |
| 1946 | 2.05 million | 3.03 million | – |
| 1945 | 5.09 million | 12.1 million | – |
| 1944 | 4.9 million | 11.5 million | – |
| 1943 | 4.15 million | 9.05 million | – |
| 1942 | 3.39 million | 3.86 million | – |
| 1941 | 2.3 million | 1.8 million | – |
| 1940 | 1.02 million | 458,000 | – |
| 1939 | 394,000 | 334,000 | – |
| 1938 | 376,000 | 323,000 | – |
| 1937 | 350,000 | 312,000 | – |
| 1936 | 336,000 | 291,000 | – |
| 1935 | 321,000 | 252,000 | – |
| 1934 | 318,000 | 247,000 | – |
| 1933 | 316,000 | 244,000 | – |
| 1932 | 317,000 | 245,000 | – |
| 1931 | 319,000 | 253,000 | – |
| 1930 | 318,000 | 256,000 | – |
| 1929 | 325,000 | 255,000 | – |
| 1928 | 330,000 | 251,000 | – |
| 1927 | 338,000 | 249,000 | – |
| 1926 | 341,000 | 247,000 | – |
| 1925 | 342,000 | 252,000 | – |
| 1924 | 337,000 | 261,000 | – |
| 1923 | 337,000 | 247,000 | – |
| 1922 | 368,000 | 270,000 | – |
| 1921 | 448,000 | 387,000 | – |
| 1920 | 596,000 | 343,000 | – |
| 1919 | 1.33 million | 1.17 million | – |
| 1918 | 4.22 million | 2.9 million | – |
| 1917 | 4.43 million | 644,000 | – |
| 1916 | – | 179,000 | – |
| 1915 | 4.35 million | 174,000 | – |
| 1914 | 532,000 | 166,000 | – |
| 1913 | 533,000 | 155,000 | – |
| 1912 | 523,000 | 153,000 | – |
| 1911 | 376,000 | 145,000 | – |
| 1910 | 372,000 | 139,000 | – |
| 1909 | 381,000 | 142,000 | – |
| 1908 | 364,000 | 129,000 | – |
| 1907 | 369,000 | 108,000 | – |
| 1906 | 384,000 | 112,000 | – |
| 1905 | 394,000 | 108,000 | – |
| 1904 | 409,000 | 110,000 | – |
| 1903 | 416,000 | 106,000 | – |
| 1902 | 489,000 | 111,000 | – |
| 1901 | 521,000 | 112,000 | – |
| 1900 | 487,000 | 126,000 | – |
| 1899 | 331,000 | 100,000 | – |
| 1898 | 331,000 | 236,000 | – |
| 1897 | 319,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1896 | 315,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1895 | 309,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1894 | 302,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1893 | 294,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1892 | 288,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1891 | 281,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1890 | 278,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1889 | 275,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1888 | 273,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1887 | 273,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1886 | 265,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1885 | 256,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1884 | 240,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1883 | 239,000 | 37,000 | – |
| 1882 | 247,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1881 | 247,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1880 | 248,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1879 | 260,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1878 | 261,000 | 36,000 | – |
| 1877 | 251,000 | 34,000 | – |
| 1876 | 244,000 | 41,000 | – |
| 1875 | 245,000 | 38,000 | – |
| 1874 | 248,000 | 44,000 | – |
| 1873 | 252,000 | 43,000 | – |
| 1872 | 254,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1871 | 241,000 | 42,000 | – |
| 1870 | 257,000 | 50,000 | – |
| 1869 | 270,000 | 52,000 | – |
| 1868 | 279,000 | 66,000 | – |
| 1867 | 283,000 | 75,000 | – |
| 1866 | 286,000 | 77,000 | – |
| 1865 | 296,000 | 1.06 million | – |
| 1864 | 290,000 | 1.03 million | – |
| 1863 | 312,000 | 960,000 | – |
| 1862 | 305,000 | 673,000 | – |
| 1861 | 316,000 | 217,000 | – |
| 1860 | 347,000 | 28,000 | – |
| 1859 | 315,000 | 29,000 | – |
| 1858 | 292,000 | 29,000 | – |
| 1857 | 272,000 | 27,000 | – |
| 1856 | 382,000 | 26,000 | – |
| 1855 | 329,000 | 26,000 | – |
| 1854 | 234,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1853 | 213,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1852 | 201,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1851 | 198,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1850 | 201,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1849 | 203,000 | 23,000 | – |
| 1848 | 208,000 | 60,000 | – |
| 1847 | 193,000 | 58,000 | – |
| 1846 | 191,000 | 39,000 | – |
| 1845 | 178,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1844 | 185,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1843 | 158,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1842 | 184,000 | 23,000 | – |
| 1841 | 173,000 | 21,000 | – |
| 1840 | 168,000 | 22,000 | – |
| 1839 | 159,000 | 19,000 | – |
| 1838 | 155,000 | 18,000 | – |
| 1837 | 143,000 | 22,000 | – |
| 1836 | 143,000 | 17,000 | – |
| 1835 | 136,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1834 | 137,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1833 | 144,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1832 | 145,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1831 | 150,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1830 | 140,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1829 | 148,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1828 | 155,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1827 | 155,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1826 | 149,000 | 12,000 | – |
| 1825 | 132,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1824 | 132,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1823 | 125,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1822 | 125,000 | 10,000 | – |
| 1821 | 139,000 | 11,000 | – |
| 1820 | 144,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1819 | 143,000 | 13,000 | – |
| 1818 | 173,000 | 14,000 | – |
| 1817 | 190,000 | 15,000 | – |
| 1816 | 255,000 | 17,000 | – |
- 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
United Kingdom vs United States
Health
- Life expectancyUnited Kingdom: 81.3 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalityUnited Kingdom: 0.5 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityUnited Kingdom: 3.7 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- Safe drinking waterUnited Kingdom: 99.8% in 2022United States: 97.5% in 2022
- DepressionUnited Kingdom: 4.12% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateUnited Kingdom: 7.4 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationUnited Kingdom: 68.7 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthUnited Kingdom: 0.7% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateUnited Kingdom: 1.56 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationUnited Kingdom: 83.3% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageUnited Kingdom: 39.8 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overUnited Kingdom: 19.2% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateUnited Kingdom: 6.5 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personUnited Kingdom: $48,420 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthUnited Kingdom: 1.2% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationUnited Kingdom: 3.4% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtUnited Kingdom: 102.1% of GDP in 2025United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingUnited Kingdom: 2.35% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsUnited Kingdom: $88B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personUnited Kingdom: $1,283 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingUnited Kingdom: 5.4% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- National powerUnited Kingdom: 1.25% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersUnited Kingdom: 0.45% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsUnited Kingdom: 609 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsUnited Kingdom: 702 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025