Cuba

Armed forces personnel in Cuba

Armed forces personnel in Cuba: 161,500 people in 1985 and 76,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
76,000 people
Since 1985
−85,500 people
Rank, 2020
57 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in CubaArmed forces personnel in Cuba: 161,500 people in 1985 and 76,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 297,000 people in 1989, the lowest 72,500 people in 2001.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 297,000 people in 1989, the lowest 72,500 people in 2001.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1902: 3,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearCubaWorld
202076,00027.4 million
201976,00027.7 million
201876,00027.7 million
201776,00027.4 million
201675,50027.5 million
201575,50027.4 million
201475,50027.3 million
201375,50027.2 million
201275,50028.2 million
201175,50028 million
201075,50028.1 million
200975,50027.9 million
200876,00027.5 million
200776,00027.3 million
200676,00027 million
200576,00028.5 million
200475,00027.1 million
200372,50028.2 million
200272,50028.3 million
200172,50028.2 million
200084,50029.4 million
199991,50029.6 million
199879,00029.9 million
199779,00029.9 million
1996119,00030.2 million
1995124,00030.2 million
1994140,00023.2 million
1993175,00023.7 million
1992175,00024.5 million
1991297,00022.7 million
1990297,00023.9 million
1989297,00024.3 million
1985161,50022.2 million
1984297,000–
1983250,000–
1982230,000–
1981225,000–
1980220,000–
1979210,000–
1978210,000–
1977200,000–
1976125,000–
1975120,000–
1974140,000–
1973140,000–
1972140,000–
1971140,000–
1970140,000–
1969140,000–
1968110,000–
1967110,000–
1966110,000–
1965110,000–
1964110,000–
196380,000–
1962270,000–
1961270,000–
196046,000–
195919,000–
195819,000–
195719,000–
195613,000–
195513,000–
195421,000–
195321,000–
195220,000–
195120,000–
195020,000–
194919,000–
194818,000–
194718,000–
194618,000–
194521,000–
194420,000–
194320,000–
194220,000–
194119,000–
194019,000–
193919,000–
193819,000–
193719,000–
193616,000–
193516,000–
193413,000–
193313,000–
193213,000–
193113,000–
193013,000–
192913,000–
192813,000–
192713,000–
192613,000–
192513,000–
192412,000–
192312,000–
192212,000–
192118,000–
192018,000–
191918,000–
191819,000–
191719,000–
191618,000–
191515,000–
191413,000–
191311,000–
19125,000–
19115,000–
19105,000–
19095,000–
19064,000–
19054,000–
19044,000–
19033,000–
19023,000–
  • 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

Cuba in numbers

Every measure for Cuba on one page

Health

People

Economy

Education

Politics

Conflict

Military

Climate

Technology and environment

Other places nearby