Belgium

Armed forces personnel in Belgium

Armed forces personnel in Belgium: 91,600 people in 1985 and 24,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
24,000 people
Since 1985
−67,600 people
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in BelgiumArmed forces personnel in Belgium: 91,600 people in 1985 and 24,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 110,000 people in 1989, the lowest 24,000 people in 2020.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 110,000 people in 1989, the lowest 24,000 people in 2020.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1830: 62,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearBelgiumWorld
202024,00027.4 million
201926,00027.7 million
201831,50027.7 million
201732,00027.4 million
201633,80027.5 million
201536,35027.4 million
201437,60027.3 million
201337,50027.2 million
201230,70028.2 million
201134,05028 million
201035,74028.1 million
200939,48027.9 million
200839,00027.5 million
200739,00027.3 million
200640,00027 million
200537,00028.5 million
200436,00027.1 million
200340,80028.2 million
200239,20028.3 million
200139,40028.2 million
200039,30029.4 million
199941,75029.6 million
199843,70029.9 million
199744,45029.9 million
199646,30030.2 million
199547,20030.2 million
199453,00023.2 million
199370,00023.7 million
199279,00024.5 million
1991101,00022.7 million
1990106,00023.9 million
1989110,00024.3 million
198591,60022.2 million
1984107,000–
1983109,000–
1982109,000–
1981110,000–
1980108,000–
1979107,000–
1978109,000–
1977107,000–
1976103,000–
1975103,000–
1974105,000–
1973107,000–
1972105,000–
1971110,000–
1970110,000–
1969115,000–
1968115,000–
1967115,000–
1966115,000–
1965115,000–
1964115,000–
1963115,000–
1962110,000–
1961110,000–
1960110,000–
1959108,000–
1958106,000–
1957101,000–
195698,000–
195594,000–
195491,000–
195386,000–
195281,000–
195177,000–
195074,000–
194970,000–
194871,000–
194775,000–
194679,000–
194580,000–
194082,000–
193985,000–
193890,000–
193772,000–
193667,000–
193568,000–
193468,000–
193366,000–
193267,000–
193166,000–
193069,000–
192967,000–
192865,000–
192766,000–
192683,000–
192582,000–
192482,000–
1923133,000–
1922117,000–
1921100,000–
1920156,000–
1919212,000–
1918209,000–
1917194,000–
1916189,000–
1915156,000–
1914115,000–
191348,000–
191247,000–
191147,000–
191048,000–
190946,000–
190846,000–
190744,000–
190644,000–
190544,000–
190444,000–
190346,000–
190249,000–
190148,000–
190051,000–
189949,000–
189847,000–
189749,000–
189648,000–
189547,000–
189447,000–
189347,000–
189251,000–
189149,000–
189045,000–
188948,000–
188848,000–
188745,000–
188645,000–
188546,000–
188447,000–
188345,000–
188246,000–
188146,000–
188046,000–
187946,000–
187846,000–
187746,000–
187646,000–
187543,000–
187440,000–
187340,000–
187240,000–
187140,000–
187040,000–
186940,000–
186840,000–
186740,000–
186640,000–
186540,000–
186440,000–
186340,000–
186240,000–
186140,000–
186040,000–
185940,000–
185840,000–
185740,000–
185640,000–
185540,000–
185439,000–
185338,000–
185237,000–
185136,000–
185035,000–
184934,000–
184833,000–
184732,000–
184632,000–
184532,000–
184432,000–
184332,000–
184236,000–
184141,000–
184045,000–
183950,000–
183848,000–
183746,000–
183630,000–
183530,000–
183430,000–
183338,000–
183246,000–
183154,000–
183062,000–
  • 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

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