Armed forces personnel in Bulgaria

Armed forces personnel in Bulgaria: 148,500 people in 1985 and 37,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020: 37,000 people
Since 1985: −111,500 people
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 150,000 people in 1989, the lowest 31,000 people in 2017.
Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1908: 59,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

Year	Bulgaria	World
2020	37,000	27.4 million
2019	37,000	27.7 million
2018	36,950	27.7 million
2017	31,000	27.4 million
2016	31,300	27.5 million
2015	47,300	27.4 million
2014	47,300	27.3 million
2013	47,300	27.2 million
2012	47,300	28.2 million
2011	47,300	28 million
2010	65,320	28.1 million
2009	65,320	27.9 million
2008	75,000	27.5 million
2007	75,000	27.3 million
2006	75,000	27 million
2005	85,000	28.5 million
2004	85,000	27.1 million
2003	85,000	28.2 million
2002	102,400	28.3 million
2001	111,300	28.2 million
2000	113,800	29.4 million
1999	114,800	29.6 million
1998	135,500	29.9 million
1997	135,500	29.9 million
1996	137,500	30.2 million
1995	135,900	30.2 million
1994	80,000	23.2 million
1993	52,000	23.7 million
1992	99,000	24.5 million
1991	107,000	22.7 million
1990	129,000	23.9 million
1989	150,000	24.3 million
1985	148,500	22.2 million
1984	189,000	–
1983	189,000	–
1982	188,000	–
1981	188,000	–
1980	188,000	–
1979	187,000	–
1978	187,000	–
1977	186,000	–
1976	177,000	–
1975	175,000	–
1974	174,000	–
1973	177,000	–
1972	189,000	–
1971	189,000	–
1970	175,000	–
1969	175,000	–
1968	175,000	–
1967	176,000	–
1966	176,000	–
1965	178,000	–
1964	178,000	–
1963	183,000	–
1962	135,000	–
1961	132,000	–
1960	118,000	–
1959	143,000	–
1958	167,000	–
1957	192,000	–
1956	191,000	–
1955	213,000	–
1954	213,000	–
1953	187,000	–
1952	190,000	–
1951	200,000	–
1950	209,000	–
1949	183,000	–
1948	157,000	–
1947	131,000	–
1946	106,000	–
1945	39,000	–
1944	450,000	–
1940	163,000	–
1939	48,000	–
1938	20,000	–
1937	20,000	–
1936	20,000	–
1935	20,000	–
1934	20,000	–
1933	20,000	–
1932	20,000	–
1931	20,000	–
1930	20,000	–
1929	20,000	–
1928	20,000	–
1927	20,000	–
1926	20,000	–
1925	20,000	–
1924	20,000	–
1923	20,000	–
1922	20,000	–
1921	20,000	–
1920	20,000	–
1919	20,000	–
1918	857,000	–
1917	38,000	–
1916	800,000	–
1915	49,000	–
1914	52,000	–
1913	592,000	–
1912	61,000	–
1911	61,000	–
1910	58,000	–
1909	60,000	–
1908	59,000	–

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 Bulgaria

What the numbers say

Every year

Good to know

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