Armed forces personnel in Afghanistan

Armed forces personnel in Afghanistan: 47,000 people in 1985 and 165,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020: 165,000 people
Since 1985: +118,000 people
Rank, 2020: 37 of 170; counting from the highest
World, 2020: 27.4 million people

Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

The highest was 429,000 people in 1996, the lowest 27,000 people in 2004.
Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1920: 55,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

Year	Afghanistan	World
2020	165,000	27.4 million
2019	278,000	27.7 million
2018	272,900	27.7 million
2017	323,000	27.4 million
2016	323,000	27.5 million
2015	319,400	27.4 million
2014	308,800	27.3 million
2013	330,700	27.2 million
2012	338,200	28.2 million
2011	340,400	28 million
2010	306,800	28.1 million
2009	255,700	27.9 million
2008	94,000	27.5 million
2007	51,000	27.3 million
2006	51,000	27 million
2005	27,000	28.5 million
2004	27,000	27.1 million
2003	130,000	28.2 million
2002	120,000	28.3 million
2001	–	28.2 million
2000	400,000	29.4 million
1999	400,000	29.6 million
1998	400,000	29.9 million
1997	429,000	29.9 million
1996	429,000	30.2 million
1995	383,000	30.2 million
1994	45,000	23.2 million
1993	45,000	23.7 million
1992	45,000	24.5 million
1991	45,000	22.7 million
1990	58,000	23.9 million
1989	55,000	24.3 million
1985	47,000	22.2 million
1984	46,000	–
1983	46,000	–
1982	55,000	–
1981	45,000	–
1980	43,000	–
1979	89,000	–
1978	110,000	–
1977	143,000	–
1976	142,000	–
1975	130,000	–
1974	80,000	–
1973	91,000	–
1972	91,000	–
1971	91,000	–
1970	91,000	–
1969	89,000	–
1968	89,000	–
1967	95,000	–
1966	97,000	–
1965	97,000	–
1964	112,000	–
1963	110,000	–
1962	104,000	–
1961	110,000	–
1960	60,000	–
1959	50,000	–
1958	43,000	–
1957	43,000	–
1956	43,000	–
1955	43,000	–
1954	41,000	–
1953	41,000	–
1952	60,000	–
1951	60,000	–
1950	75,000	–
1949	75,000	–
1948	90,000	–
1947	100,000	–
1946	90,000	–
1945	90,000	–
1944	90,000	–
1943	90,000	–
1942	90,000	–
1941	90,000	–
1940	60,000	–
1939	103,000	–
1938	103,000	–
1937	103,000	–
1936	103,000	–
1935	72,000	–
1934	45,000	–
1933	72,000	–
1932	60,000	–
1931	60,000	–
1930	60,000	–
1929	60,000	–
1928	60,000	–
1927	76,000	–
1926	76,000	–
1925	76,000	–
1924	65,000	–
1923	65,000	–
1922	55,000	–
1921	55,000	–
1920	55,000	–

12.3Estimates, Correlates of War

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

Armed forces personnel in Afghanistan

What the numbers say

Every year

Good to know

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