France

Armed forces personnel in France

Armed forces personnel in France: 464,300 people in 1985 and 304,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
304,000 people
Since 1985
−160,300 people
Rank, 2020
23 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in FranceArmed forces personnel in France: 464,300 people in 1985 and 304,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 554,000 people in 1989, the lowest 304,000 people in 2019.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 554,000 people in 1989, the lowest 304,000 people in 2019.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1816: 132,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearFranceWorld
2020304,00027.4 million
2019304,00027.7 million
2018304,80027.7 million
2017307,00027.4 million
2016306,10027.5 million
2015306,40027.4 million
2014312,40027.3 million
2013318,40027.2 million
2012325,60028.2 million
2011332,30028 million
2010342,00028.1 million
2009342,00027.9 million
2008353,00027.5 million
2007353,00027.3 million
2006354,00027 million
2005359,00028.5 million
2004358,00027.1 million
2003360,40028.2 million
2002361,80028.3 million
2001374,40028.2 million
2000389,40029.4 million
1999411,60029.6 million
1998452,20029.9 million
1997473,10029.9 million
1996491,30030.2 million
1995502,40030.2 million
1994506,00023.2 million
1993506,00023.7 million
1992522,00024.5 million
1991542,00022.7 million
1990550,00023.9 million
1989554,00024.3 million
1985464,30022.2 million
1984571,000–
1983578,000–
1982578,000–
1981575,000–
1980575,000–
1979578,000–
1978581,000–
1977584,000–
1976585,000–
1975585,000–
1974585,000–
1973581,000–
1972560,000–
1971565,000–
1970570,000–
1969570,000–
1968570,000–
1967595,000–
1966580,000–
1965585,000–
1964690,000–
1963735,000–
1962705,000–
1961720,000–
19601.03 million–
1959992,000–
1958961,000–
1957913,000–
1956856,000–
1955802,000–
1954745,000–
1953699,000–
1952655,000–
1951620,000–
1950595,000–
1949588,000–
1948577,000–
1947580,000–
1946578,000–
1945578,000–
1944579,000–
1941373,000–
19405 million–
1939581,000–
1938581,000–
1937613,000–
1936588,000–
1935548,000–
1934458,000–
1933449,000–
1932422,000–
1931441,000–
1930411,000–
1929411,000–
1928469,000–
1927494,000–
1926471,000–
1925475,000–
1924479,000–
1923511,000–
1922545,000–
1921547,000–
19201.46 million–
19192.36 million–
19185.28 million–
19175.14 million–
19165.26 million–
19155 million–
1914789,000–
1913632,000–
1912642,000–
1911638,000–
1910652,000–
1909641,000–
1908619,000–
1907619,000–
1906635,000–
1905626,000–
1904596,000–
1903614,000–
1902610,000–
1901603,000–
1900621,000–
1899654,000–
1898654,000–
1897623,000–
1896613,000–
1895586,000–
1894590,000–
1893610,000–
1892606,000–
1891605,000–
1890596,000–
1889589,000–
1888569,000–
1887519,000–
1886536,000–
1885519,000–
1884526,000–
1883516,000–
1882588,000–
1881578,000–
1880544,000–
1879525,000–
1878543,000–
1877523,000–
1876501,000–
1875485,000–
1874474,000–
1873534,000–
1872483,000–
18711 million–
1870452,000–
1869474,000–
1868483,000–
1867461,000–
1866458,000–
1865479,000–
1864487,000–
1863493,000–
1862520,000–
1861528,000–
1860608,000–
1859465,000–
1858427,000–
1857528,000–
1856645,000–
1855645,000–
1854440,000–
1853424,000–
1852397,000–
1851402,000–
1850439,000–
1849465,000–
1848387,000–
1847394,000–
1846388,000–
1845357,000–
1844361,000–
1843397,000–
1842438,000–
1841483,000–
1840446,000–
1839300,000–
1838304,000–
1837307,000–
1836294,000–
1835289,000–
1834267,000–
1833299,000–
1832311,000–
1831373,000–
1830259,000–
1829265,000–
1828247,000–
1827237,000–
1826237,000–
1825237,000–
1824239,000–
1823256,000–
1822243,000–
1821198,000–
1820208,000–
1819182,000–
1818138,000–
1817131,000–
1816132,000–
  • 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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