Pakistan
Armed forces personnel in Pakistan
Armed forces personnel in Pakistan: 482,800 people in 1985 and 943,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.
- Latest, 2020
- 943,000 people
- Since 1985
- +460,200 people
- Rank, 2020
- 6 of 170
- counting from the highest
- World, 2020
- 27.4 million people
people · IISS
What the numbers say
- The highest was 947,800 people in 2012, the lowest 482,800 people in 1985.
- Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1947: 275,000 people.
Every year
people · IISS
| Year | Pakistan | World |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 943,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2019 | 943,000 | 27.7 million |
| 2018 | 944,800 | 27.7 million |
| 2017 | 936,000 | 27.4 million |
| 2016 | 935,800 | 27.5 million |
| 2015 | 935,800 | 27.4 million |
| 2014 | 925,800 | 27.3 million |
| 2013 | 947,800 | 27.2 million |
| 2012 | 947,800 | 28.2 million |
| 2011 | 946,000 | 28 million |
| 2010 | 946,000 | 28.1 million |
| 2009 | 921,000 | 27.9 million |
| 2008 | 921,000 | 27.5 million |
| 2007 | 921,000 | 27.3 million |
| 2006 | 923,000 | 27 million |
| 2005 | 921,000 | 28.5 million |
| 2004 | 921,000 | 27.1 million |
| 2003 | 909,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2002 | 909,000 | 28.3 million |
| 2001 | 908,000 | 28.2 million |
| 2000 | 900,000 | 29.4 million |
| 1999 | 834,000 | 29.6 million |
| 1998 | 834,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1997 | 834,000 | 29.9 million |
| 1996 | 835,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1995 | 846,000 | 30.2 million |
| 1994 | 580,000 | 23.2 million |
| 1993 | 580,000 | 23.7 million |
| 1992 | 580,000 | 24.5 million |
| 1991 | 565,000 | 22.7 million |
| 1990 | 550,000 | 23.9 million |
| 1989 | 520,000 | 24.3 million |
| 1985 | 482,800 | 22.2 million |
| 1984 | 479,000 | – |
| 1983 | 479,000 | – |
| 1982 | 588,000 | – |
| 1981 | 560,000 | – |
| 1980 | 467,000 | – |
| 1979 | 544,000 | – |
| 1978 | 518,000 | – |
| 1977 | 588,000 | – |
| 1976 | 604,000 | – |
| 1975 | 502,000 | – |
| 1974 | 395,000 | – |
| 1973 | 466,000 | – |
| 1972 | 350,000 | – |
| 1971 | 404,000 | – |
| 1970 | 390,000 | – |
| 1969 | 390,000 | – |
| 1968 | 357,000 | – |
| 1967 | 351,000 | – |
| 1966 | 300,000 | – |
| 1965 | 277,000 | – |
| 1964 | 275,000 | – |
| 1963 | 270,000 | – |
| 1962 | 249,000 | – |
| 1961 | 243,000 | – |
| 1960 | 223,000 | – |
| 1959 | 223,000 | – |
| 1958 | 223,000 | – |
| 1957 | 206,000 | – |
| 1956 | 190,000 | – |
| 1955 | 199,000 | – |
| 1954 | 208,000 | – |
| 1953 | 218,000 | – |
| 1952 | 227,000 | – |
| 1951 | 237,000 | – |
| 1950 | 246,000 | – |
| 1949 | 256,000 | – |
| 1948 | 265,000 | – |
| 1947 | 275,000 | – |
- 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
Pakistan in numbers
Every measure for Pakistan on one page
Health
People
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spending2.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollars$11.5B in 2025
- Military spending per person$47 in 2025
- Military share of state spending13.8% of government spending in 2025
- National power1.77% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workers1.25% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms imports706 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exports127 million TIV in 2025