Italy

Armed forces personnel in Italy

Armed forces personnel in Italy: 385,100 people in 1985 and 338,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
338,000 people
Since 1985
−47,100 people
Rank, 2020
20 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in ItalyArmed forces personnel in Italy: 385,100 people in 1985 and 338,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 585,000 people in 1995, the lowest 326,900 people in 2009.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 585,000 people in 1995, the lowest 326,900 people in 2009.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1862: 185,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearItalyWorld
2020338,00027.4 million
2019342,00027.7 million
2018341,50027.7 million
2017347,00027.4 million
2016356,90027.5 million
2015356,90027.4 million
2014356,90027.3 million
2013359,50027.2 million
2012359,50028.2 million
2011367,60028 million
2010359,40028.1 million
2009326,90027.9 million
2008436,00027.5 million
2007436,00027.3 million
2006440,00027 million
2005445,00028.5 million
2004445,00027.1 million
2003454,30028.2 million
2002471,10028.3 million
2001482,60028.2 million
2000503,10029.4 million
1999521,20029.6 million
1998554,10029.9 million
1997580,90029.9 million
1996580,90030.2 million
1995585,00030.2 million
1994436,00023.2 million
1993450,00023.7 million
1992471,00024.5 million
1991473,00022.7 million
1990493,00023.9 million
1989506,00024.3 million
1985385,10022.2 million
1984508,000–
1983498,000–
1982517,000–
1981505,000–
1980500,000–
1979490,000–
1978489,000–
1977475,000–
1976455,000–
1975459,000–
1974534,000–
1973548,000–
1972510,000–
1971435,000–
1970435,000–
1969435,000–
1968430,000–
1967430,000–
1966435,000–
1965460,000–
1964590,000–
1963515,000–
1962470,000–
1961470,000–
1960321,000–
1959321,000–
1958321,000–
1957321,000–
1956320,000–
1955318,000–
1954315,000–
1953330,000–
1952325,000–
1951320,000–
1950235,000–
1949330,000–
1948310,000–
1947280,000–
1946260,000–
1945276,000–
1944283,000–
19431.7 million–
19423.75 million–
19401.63 million–
1939581,000–
1938486,000–
1937466,000–
1936343,000–
19351.38 million–
1934362,000–
1933363,000–
1932354,000–
1931314,000–
1930333,000–
1929315,000–
1928317,000–
1927318,000–
1926317,000–
1925299,000–
1924380,000–
1923311,000–
1922291,000–
1921290,000–
1920840,000–
19192 million–
19183.16 million–
19173.16 million–
19163.16 million–
19153.16 million–
1914344,000–
1913288,000–
1912398,000–
1911291,000–
1910252,000–
1909251,000–
1908227,000–
1907219,000–
1906267,000–
1905266,000–
1904263,000–
1903270,000–
1902276,000–
1901262,000–
1900262,000–
1899264,000–
1898318,000–
1897247,000–
1896226,000–
1895229,000–
1894250,000–
1893264,000–
1892241,000–
1891265,000–
1890257,000–
1889256,000–
1888237,000–
1887230,000–
1886227,000–
1885226,000–
1884223,000–
1883163,000–
1882162,000–
1881167,000–
1880167,000–
1879167,000–
1878203,000–
1877152,000–
1876156,000–
1875179,000–
1874177,000–
1873161,000–
1872175,000–
1871353,000–
1870174,000–
1869204,000–
1868294,000–
1867394,000–
1866233,000–
1865209,000–
1864365,000–
1863275,000–
1862185,000–
  • 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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