Spain

Armed forces personnel in Spain

Armed forces personnel in Spain: 320,000 people in 1985 and 199,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
199,000 people
Since 1985
−121,000 people
Rank, 2020
32 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in SpainArmed forces personnel in Spain: 320,000 people in 1985 and 199,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 320,000 people in 1985, the lowest 196,000 people in 2017.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 320,000 people in 1985, the lowest 196,000 people in 2017.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1816: 125,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearSpainWorld
2020199,00027.4 million
2019199,00027.7 million
2018196,40027.7 million
2017196,00027.4 million
2016198,00027.5 million
2015200,00027.4 million
2014200,00027.3 million
2013214,00027.2 million
2012215,60028.2 million
2011215,70028 million
2010223,20028.1 million
2009222,40027.9 million
2008223,00027.5 million
2007222,00027.3 million
2006222,00027 million
2005220,00028.5 million
2004220,00027.1 million
2003224,00028.2 million
2002251,20028.3 million
2001214,70028.2 million
2000241,80029.4 million
1999262,30029.6 million
1998269,70029.9 million
1997273,30029.9 million
1996282,30030.2 million
1995281,60030.2 million
1994213,00023.2 million
1993204,00023.7 million
1992198,00024.5 million
1991246,00022.7 million
1990263,00023.9 million
1989277,00024.3 million
1985320,00022.2 million
1984342,000–
1983355,000–
1982372,000–
1981366,000–
1980356,000–
1979374,000–
1978372,000–
1977373,000–
1976368,000–
1975375,000–
1974375,000–
1973365,000–
1972365,000–
1971365,000–
1970365,000–
1969365,000–
1968370,000–
1967370,000–
1966375,000–
1965370,000–
1964370,000–
1963370,000–
1962340,000–
1961345,000–
1960371,000–
1959398,000–
1958424,000–
1957451,000–
1956478,000–
1955505,000–
1954505,000–
1953503,000–
1952528,000–
1951528,000–
1950494,000–
1949444,000–
1948464,000–
1947464,000–
1946462,000–
1945477,000–
1944483,000–
1943497,000–
1942508,000–
1941522,000–
1940531,000–
1939539,000–
1938550,000–
1937500,000–
1936475,000–
1935141,000–
1934138,000–
1933146,000–
1932138,000–
1931134,000–
1930134,000–
1929132,000–
1928128,000–
1927129,000–
1926154,000–
1925152,000–
1924161,000–
1923199,000–
1922235,000–
1921207,000–
1920236,000–
1919224,000–
1918212,000–
1917198,000–
1916189,000–
1915175,000–
1914162,000–
1913145,000–
1912145,000–
1911147,000–
1910137,000–
1909111,000–
1908111,000–
1907132,000–
1906113,000–
1905113,000–
1904112,000–
1903112,000–
1902112,000–
1901114,000–
1900111,000–
1899132,000–
1898153,000–
1897154,000–
1896149,000–
1895150,000–
1894136,000–
1893133,000–
1892131,000–
1891137,000–
1890139,000–
1889146,000–
1888149,000–
1887153,000–
1886153,000–
1885176,000–
1884150,000–
1883154,000–
1882157,000–
1881160,000–
1880159,000–
1879154,000–
1878150,000–
1877104,000–
1876104,000–
1875111,000–
1874103,000–
1873100,000–
187297,000–
187197,000–
1870124,000–
1869102,000–
186898,000–
1867109,000–
1866107,000–
1865124,000–
1864118,000–
1863109,000–
1862117,000–
1861123,000–
1860125,000–
1859124,000–
1858123,000–
1857120,000–
1856104,000–
185592,000–
1854103,000–
1853105,000–
1852110,000–
1851114,000–
1850117,000–
1849118,000–
1848120,000–
1847121,000–
1846121,000–
1845113,000–
1844107,000–
1843100,000–
184292,000–
184186,000–
184079,000–
183979,000–
183884,000–
183789,000–
183695,000–
1835101,000–
1834110,000–
183360,000–
183289,000–
1831130,000–
183083,000–
182987,000–
182891,000–
182792,000–
182692,000–
182593,000–
182493,000–
1823114,000–
1822158,000–
1821165,000–
1820146,000–
1819127,000–
1818126,000–
1817126,000–
1816125,000–
  • 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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