Colombia

Armed forces personnel in Colombia

Armed forces personnel in Colombia: 66,200 people in 1985 and 428,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
428,000 people
Since 1985
+361,800 people
Rank, 2020
17 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in ColombiaArmed forces personnel in Colombia: 66,200 people in 1985 and 428,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 481,200 people in 2018, the lowest 66,200 people in 1985.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 481,200 people in 2018, the lowest 66,200 people in 1985.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1831: 3,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearColombiaWorld
2020428,00027.4 million
2019481,00027.7 million
2018481,20027.7 million
2017481,00027.4 million
2016481,10027.5 million
2015481,10027.4 million
2014455,80027.3 million
2013455,80027.2 million
2012440,20028.2 million
2011440,20028 million
2010441,80028.1 million
2009441,80027.9 million
2008411,00027.5 million
2007411,00027.3 million
2006398,00027 million
2005336,00028.5 million
2004336,00027.1 million
2003304,60028.2 million
2002262,60028.3 million
2001262,60028.2 million
2000247,00029.4 million
1999231,00029.6 million
1998233,30029.9 million
1997233,30029.9 million
1996233,30030.2 million
1995233,40030.2 million
1994146,00023.2 million
1993139,00023.7 million
1992139,00024.5 million
1991110,00022.7 million
1990110,00023.9 million
198991,00024.3 million
198566,20022.2 million
198470,000–
198370,000–
198270,000–
198165,000–
198060,000–
197960,000–
197860,000–
197760,000–
197660,000–
197550,000–
197450,000–
197350,000–
197250,000–
197150,000–
197045,000–
196950,000–
196850,000–
196750,000–
196650,000–
196550,000–
196455,000–
196350,000–
196255,000–
196155,000–
196018,000–
195917,000–
195819,000–
195715,000–
195617,000–
195512,000–
195419,000–
195318,000–
195217,000–
195117,000–
195017,000–
194917,000–
194817,000–
194717,000–
194617,000–
194511,000–
194411,000–
194311,000–
193915,000–
193818,000–
193715,000–
193612,000–
193513,000–
193413,000–
19338,000–
19328,000–
19318,000–
19307,000–
19299,000–
19289,000–
19278,000–
19267,000–
19256,000–
19246,000–
19236,000–
19226,000–
19216,000–
19206,000–
19196,000–
19186,000–
19176,000–
19166,000–
19156,000–
19146,000–
19136,000–
19126,000–
19116,000–
19107,000–
19097,000–
19087,000–
19077,000–
19066,000–
19055,000–
190410,000–
190315,000–
19021,000–
19011,000–
19001,000–
18991,000–
18981,000–
18971,000–
18966,000–
18956,000–
18946,000–
18936,000–
18926,000–
18916,000–
18906,000–
18897,000–
18887,000–
18877,000–
18863,000–
18853,000–
18843,000–
18833,000–
18823,000–
18813,000–
18802,000–
18793,000–
18783,000–
18772,000–
18763,000–
18751,000–
18742,000–
18732,000–
18722,000–
18712,000–
18702,000–
18692,000–
18682,000–
18672,000–
18662,000–
18652,000–
18642,000–
18634,000–
18621,000–
18611,000–
18601,000–
18591,000–
18581,000–
18571,000–
18562,000–
18552,000–
18542,000–
18532,000–
18522,000–
18514,000–
18504,000–
18494,000–
18484,000–
18474,000–
18464,000–
18454,000–
18444,000–
18435,000–
18426,000–
184125,000–
184020,000–
18396,000–
18383,000–
18373,000–
18363,000–
18353,000–
18343,000–
18333,000–
18323,000–
18313,000–
  • 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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