Poland

Armed forces personnel in Poland

Armed forces personnel in Poland: 319,000 people in 1985 and 189,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
189,000 people
Since 1985
−130,000 people
Rank, 2020
34 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in PolandArmed forces personnel in Poland: 319,000 people in 1985 and 189,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 350,000 people in 1989, the lowest 118,100 people in 2011.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 350,000 people in 1989, the lowest 118,100 people in 2011.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1919: 300,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearPolandWorld
2020189,00027.4 million
2019189,00027.7 million
2018196,70027.7 million
2017191,00027.4 million
2016178,40027.5 million
2015172,70027.4 million
2014172,70027.3 million
2013172,70027.2 million
2012172,70028.2 million
2011118,10028 million
2010121,40028.1 million
2009121,40027.9 million
2008143,00027.5 million
2007142,00027.3 million
2006148,00027 million
2005162,00028.5 million
2004162,00027.1 million
2003184,40028.2 million
2002184,40028.3 million
2001228,00028.2 million
2000238,80029.4 million
1999264,10029.6 million
1998264,10029.9 million
1997265,20029.9 million
1996272,90030.2 million
1995302,00030.2 million
1994255,00023.2 million
1993260,00023.7 million
1992270,00024.5 million
1991305,00022.7 million
1990313,00023.9 million
1989350,00024.3 million
1985319,00022.2 million
1984434,000–
1983426,000–
1982420,000–
1981414,000–
1980408,000–
1979399,000–
1978382,000–
1977370,000–
1976435,000–
1975435,000–
1974366,000–
1973328,000–
1972318,000–
1971315,000–
1970314,000–
1969312,000–
1968310,000–
1967305,000–
1966303,000–
1965302,000–
1964302,000–
1963303,000–
1962310,000–
1961305,000–
1960200,000–
1959200,000–
1958300,000–
1957300,000–
1956300,000–
1955300,000–
1954300,000–
1953450,000–
1952450,000–
1951400,000–
1950328,000–
1949255,000–
1948204,000–
1947168,000–
1946132,000–
1945197,000–
1939275,000–
1938308,000–
1937281,000–
1936272,000–
1935271,000–
1934272,000–
1933269,000–
1932269,000–
1931269,000–
1930263,000–
1929268,000–
1928268,000–
1927265,000–
1926293,000–
1925272,000–
1924278,000–
1923270,000–
1922252,000–
1921255,000–
1920962,000–
1919300,000–
  • 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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