Portugal

Armed forces personnel in Portugal

Armed forces personnel in Portugal: 73,000 people in 1985 and 52,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
52,000 people
Since 1985
−21,000 people
Rank, 2020
68 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in PortugalArmed forces personnel in Portugal: 73,000 people in 1985 and 52,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 122,000 people in 1994, the lowest 52,000 people in 2017.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 122,000 people in 1994, the lowest 52,000 people in 2017.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1816: 22,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearPortugalWorld
202052,00027.4 million
201952,00027.7 million
201852,25027.7 million
201752,00027.4 million
201674,50027.5 million
201573,60027.4 million
201478,10027.3 million
201379,85027.2 million
201290,30028.2 million
201190,30028 million
201090,33028.1 million
200991,04027.9 million
200891,00027.5 million
200791,00027.3 million
200691,00027 million
200593,00028.5 million
200491,00027.1 million
200392,60028.2 million
200290,00028.3 million
200190,00028.2 million
200090,50029.4 million
199990,60029.6 million
199894,50029.9 million
1997100,20029.9 million
1996104,00030.2 million
1995104,00030.2 million
1994122,00023.2 million
199368,00023.7 million
199280,00024.5 million
199186,00022.7 million
199087,00023.9 million
1989104,00024.3 million
198573,00022.2 million
1984100,000–
198393,000–
198291,000–
198188,000–
198088,000–
197981,000–
197882,000–
197780,000–
197683,000–
1975104,000–
1974282,000–
1973276,000–
1972255,000–
1971245,000–
1970230,000–
1969225,000–
1968215,000–
1967195,000–
1966190,000–
1965160,000–
1964302,000–
1963145,000–
196280,000–
196175,000–
196078,000–
195978,000–
195878,000–
195778,000–
195678,000–
195577,000–
195477,000–
195375,000–
195274,000–
195174,000–
195074,000–
194973,000–
194873,000–
194136,000–
194037,000–
193940,000–
193838,000–
193733,000–
193636,000–
193537,000–
193437,000–
193341,000–
193241,000–
193140,000–
193040,000–
192951,000–
192851,000–
192751,000–
192653,000–
192551,000–
192436,000–
192336,000–
192236,000–
192136,000–
192036,000–
191920,000–
1918125,000–
1917125,000–
1916125,000–
1915125,000–
191436,000–
191336,000–
191236,000–
191039,000–
190936,000–
190839,000–
190739,000–
190639,000–
190536,000–
190436,000–
190336,000–
190236,000–
190137,000–
190036,000–
189936,000–
189836,000–
189734,000–
189633,000–
189533,000–
189433,000–
189332,000–
189233,000–
189133,000–
189031,000–
188930,000–
188828,000–
188729,000–
188635,000–
188539,000–
188431,000–
188329,000–
188231,000–
188134,000–
188032,000–
187940,000–
187840,000–
187739,000–
187644,000–
187542,000–
187437,000–
187336,000–
187227,000–
187131,000–
187025,000–
186925,000–
186824,000–
186724,000–
186623,000–
186524,000–
186424,000–
186323,000–
186221,000–
186122,000–
186022,000–
185927,000–
185822,000–
185724,000–
185623,000–
185526,000–
185422,000–
185321,000–
185221,000–
185121,000–
185021,000–
184921,000–
184828,000–
184721,000–
184621,000–
184527,000–
184432,000–
184331,000–
184231,000–
184131,000–
184031,000–
183951,000–
183854,000–
183754,000–
183654,000–
183554,000–
183454,000–
183354,000–
183254,000–
183143,000–
183042,000–
182942,000–
182842,000–
182726,000–
182632,000–
182531,000–
182432,000–
182327,000–
182225,000–
182122,000–
182022,000–
181922,000–
181822,000–
181722,000–
181622,000–
  • 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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