Malaysia

Armed forces personnel in Malaysia

Armed forces personnel in Malaysia: 110,000 people in 1985 and 136,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
136,000 people
Since 1985
+26,000 people
Rank, 2020
45 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in MalaysiaArmed forces personnel in Malaysia: 110,000 people in 1985 and 136,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 140,300 people in 1995, the lowest 110,000 people in 1985.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 140,300 people in 1995, the lowest 110,000 people in 1985.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1957: 18,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearMalaysiaWorld
2020136,00027.4 million
2019136,00027.7 million
2018136,00027.7 million
2017136,00027.4 million
2016133,60027.5 million
2015133,60027.4 million
2014133,60027.3 million
2013133,60027.2 million
2012133,60028.2 million
2011133,60028 million
2010133,60028.1 million
2009133,60027.9 million
2008134,00027.5 million
2007134,00027.3 million
2006134,00027 million
2005135,00028.5 million
2004130,00027.1 million
2003124,10028.2 million
2002120,10028.3 million
2001120,60028.2 million
2000116,10029.4 million
1999125,10029.6 million
1998130,10029.9 million
1997131,60029.9 million
1996140,30030.2 million
1995140,30030.2 million
1994115,00023.2 million
1993115,00023.7 million
1992128,00024.5 million
1991128,00022.7 million
1990130,00023.9 million
1989115,00024.3 million
1985110,00022.2 million
1984125,000–
198399,000–
198295,000–
198190,000–
198083,000–
197982,000–
197882,000–
197779,000–
197680,000–
197576,000–
197475,000–
197370,000–
197269,000–
197162,000–
197058,000–
196946,000–
196846,000–
196740,000–
196635,000–
196537,000–
196432,000–
196314,000–
196246,000–
196144,000–
196020,000–
195920,000–
195820,000–
195718,000–
  • 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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