Philippines

Armed forces personnel in Philippines

Armed forces personnel in Philippines: 114,800 people in 1985 and 157,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
157,000 people
Since 1985
+42,200 people
Rank, 2020
40 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in PhilippinesArmed forces personnel in Philippines: 114,800 people in 1985 and 157,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 165,500 people in 2009, the lowest 104,000 people in 1994.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 165,500 people in 2009, the lowest 104,000 people in 1994.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1946: 0 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearPhilippinesWorld
2020157,00027.4 million
2019155,00027.7 million
2018153,40027.7 million
2017153,00027.4 million
2016165,50027.5 million
2015165,50027.4 million
2014165,50027.3 million
2013165,50027.2 million
2012165,50028.2 million
2011165,50028 million
2010165,50028.1 million
2009165,50027.9 million
2008147,00027.5 million
2007147,00027.3 million
2006147,00027 million
2005147,00028.5 million
2004146,00027.1 million
2003150,00028.2 million
2002150,00028.3 million
2001151,00028.2 million
2000148,50029.4 million
1999152,50029.6 million
1998160,30029.9 million
1997153,00029.9 million
1996150,00030.2 million
1995149,00030.2 million
1994104,00023.2 million
1993107,00023.7 million
1992107,00024.5 million
1991107,00022.7 million
1990109,00023.9 million
1989112,00024.3 million
1985114,80022.2 million
1984105,000–
1983113,000–
1982157,000–
1981156,000–
1980155,000–
1979156,000–
1978156,000–
1977155,000–
1976140,000–
1975120,000–
197490,000–
197363,000–
197262,000–
197158,000–
197059,000–
196955,000–
196851,000–
196745,000–
196645,000–
196546,000–
196447,000–
196345,000–
196260,000–
196162,000–
196058,000–
195958,000–
195858,000–
195758,000–
195642,000–
195538,000–
195434,000–
195330,000–
195230,000–
195129,000–
195029,000–
194928,000–
194828,000–
194727,000–
19460–
  • 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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