Germany

Armed forces personnel in Germany

Armed forces personnel in Germany: 478,000 people in 1985 and 183,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
183,000 people
Since 1985
−295,000 people
Rank, 2020
35 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in GermanyArmed forces personnel in Germany: 478,000 people in 1985 and 183,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 545,000 people in 1990, the lowest 177,300 people in 2015.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 545,000 people in 1990, the lowest 177,300 people in 2015.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1872: 427,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearGermanyWorld
2020183,00027.4 million
2019184,00027.7 million
2018181,40027.7 million
2017180,00027.4 million
2016179,10027.5 million
2015177,30027.4 million
2014178,60027.3 million
2013181,60027.2 million
2012186,50028.2 million
2011196,00028 million
2010251,50028.1 million
2009251,50027.9 million
2008244,00027.5 million
2007244,00027.3 million
2006246,00027 million
2005285,00028.5 million
2004284,00027.1 million
2003284,50028.2 million
2002296,00028.3 million
2001308,40028.2 million
2000221,10029.4 million
1999331,00029.6 million
1998333,50029.9 million
1997347,10029.9 million
1996383,50030.2 million
1995365,00030.2 million
1994362,00023.2 million
1993398,00023.7 million
1992442,00024.5 million
1991457,00022.7 million
1990545,00023.9 million
1989503,00024.3 million
1985478,00022.2 million
19455.3 million–
19446.13 million–
19436.96 million–
19427.03 million–
19417.1 million–
19403.3 million–
19392.75 million–
1938782,000–
1937603,000–
1936596,000–
1935461,000–
1934315,000–
1933118,000–
1932114,000–
1931114,000–
1930114,000–
1929114,000–
1928114,000–
1927114,000–
1926114,000–
1925114,000–
1924114,000–
1923114,000–
1922114,000–
1921114,000–
1920114,000–
1919114,000–
19188 million–
19175.38 million–
19164.58 million–
19153.82 million–
1914862,000–
1913859,000–
1912716,000–
1911677,000–
1910673,000–
1909667,000–
1908663,000–
1907658,000–
1906653,000–
1905648,000–
1904642,000–
1903636,000–
1902638,000–
1901630,000–
1900624,000–
1899619,000–
1898606,000–
1897604,000–
1896602,000–
1895602,000–
1894601,000–
1893601,000–
1892526,000–
1891524,000–
1890505,000–
1889504,000–
1888504,000–
1887503,000–
1886460,000–
1885459,000–
1884457,000–
1883457,000–
1882455,000–
1881456,000–
1880430,000–
1879430,000–
1878429,000–
1877429,000–
1876429,000–
1875428,000–
1874429,000–
1873426,000–
1872427,000–
  • 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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