Japan

Armed forces personnel in Japan

Armed forces personnel in Japan: 243,000 people in 1985 and 261,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
261,000 people
Since 1985
+18,000 people
Rank, 2020
27 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in JapanArmed forces personnel in Japan: 243,000 people in 1985 and 261,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 272,000 people in 2005, the lowest 233,000 people in 1994.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 272,000 people in 2005, the lowest 233,000 people in 1994.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1860: 12,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearJapanWorld
2020261,00027.4 million
2019261,00027.7 million
2018261,20027.7 million
2017261,00027.4 million
2016260,90027.5 million
2015259,80027.4 million
2014259,80027.3 million
2013259,80027.2 million
2012259,80028.2 million
2011260,10028 million
2010260,40028.1 million
2009260,40027.9 million
2008242,00027.5 million
2007242,00027.3 million
2006252,00027 million
2005272,00028.5 million
2004251,00027.1 million
2003252,10028.2 million
2002252,10028.3 million
2001252,10028.2 million
2000248,70029.4 million
1999254,60029.6 million
1998254,60029.9 million
1997247,60029.9 million
1996247,50030.2 million
1995251,50030.2 million
1994233,00023.2 million
1993242,00023.7 million
1992242,00024.5 million
1991250,00022.7 million
1990250,00023.9 million
1989247,00024.3 million
1985243,00022.2 million
1984241,000–
1983241,000–
1982243,000–
1981241,000–
1980242,000–
1979239,000–
1978239,000–
1977236,000–
1976236,000–
1975237,000–
1974237,000–
1973233,000–
1972233,000–
1971234,000–
1970236,000–
1969236,000–
1968235,000–
1967231,000–
1966227,000–
1965246,000–
1964244,000–
1963243,000–
1962235,000–
1961230,000–
1960263,000–
1959255,000–
1958243,000–
1957224,000–
1956215,000–
1955196,000–
1954165,000–
1953123,000–
1952119,000–
19456.1 million–
19444.33 million–
19433.08 million–
19423.08 million–
19413.08 million–
1940957,000–
1939957,000–
1938370,000–
1937393,000–
1936416,000–
1935410,000–
1934399,000–
1933371,000–
1932370,000–
1931292,000–
1930293,000–
1929296,000–
1928285,000–
1927274,000–
1926302,000–
1925306,000–
1924306,000–
1923306,000–
1922306,000–
1921306,000–
1920306,000–
1919306,000–
1918660,000–
1917660,000–
1916650,000–
1915650,000–
1914300,000–
1913296,000–
1912275,000–
1911274,000–
1910283,000–
1909273,000–
1908273,000–
1907262,000–
1906266,000–
1905250,000–
1904218,000–
1903214,000–
1902209,000–
1901206,000–
1900182,000–
1899147,000–
1898156,000–
1897132,000–
1896103,000–
1895207,000–
189483,000–
189371,000–
189279,000–
189189,000–
189071,000–
188969,000–
188862,000–
188762,000–
188656,000–
188552,000–
188448,000–
188348,000–
188247,000–
188146,000–
188045,000–
187944,000–
187843,000–
187738,000–
187637,000–
187541,000–
187441,000–
187340,000–
187220,000–
187117,000–
18706,000–
18696,000–
18680–
18670–
18660–
18650–
18640–
18630–
186212,000–
186112,000–
186012,000–
  • 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

Japan in numbers

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