Netherlands

Armed forces personnel in Netherlands

Armed forces personnel in Netherlands: 105,500 people in 1985 and 41,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
41,000 people
Since 1985
−64,500 people
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in NetherlandsArmed forces personnel in Netherlands: 105,500 people in 1985 and 41,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 106,000 people in 1989, the lowest 41,000 people in 2007.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 106,000 people in 1989, the lowest 41,000 people in 2007.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1816: 26,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearNetherlandsWorld
202041,00027.4 million
201941,00027.7 million
201841,41027.7 million
201741,00027.4 million
201641,31027.5 million
201541,31027.4 million
201441,90027.3 million
201343,30027.2 million
201243,30028.2 million
201143,30028 million
201043,28028.1 million
200943,28027.9 million
200847,00027.5 million
200741,00027.3 million
200646,00027 million
200560,00028.5 million
200453,00027.1 million
200359,90028.2 million
200252,90028.3 million
200155,60028.2 million
200057,10029.4 million
199960,00029.6 million
199860,78029.9 million
199760,80029.9 million
199666,70030.2 million
199578,00030.2 million
199477,00023.2 million
199386,00023.7 million
199290,00024.5 million
1991104,00022.7 million
1990104,00023.9 million
1989106,00024.3 million
1985105,50022.2 million
1984103,000–
1983104,000–
1982106,000–
1981108,000–
1980107,000–
1979107,000–
1978106,000–
1977103,000–
1976106,000–
1975107,000–
1974110,000–
1973111,000–
1972115,000–
1971110,000–
1970115,000–
1969120,000–
1968120,000–
1967120,000–
1966120,000–
1965125,000–
1964125,000–
1963130,000–
1962141,000–
1961141,000–
1960151,000–
1959158,000–
1958166,000–
1957173,000–
1956181,000–
1955188,000–
1954196,000–
1953203,000–
1952211,000–
1951218,000–
1950226,000–
1949233,000–
1948233,000–
1947233,000–
1946100,000–
194587,000–
194064,000–
193947,000–
193816,000–
193716,000–
193615,000–
193516,000–
193416,000–
193316,000–
193216,000–
193116,000–
193014,000–
192914,000–
192814,000–
192714,000–
192616,000–
192516,000–
192415,000–
192315,000–
192215,000–
192114,000–
192014,000–
191914,000–
191819,000–
191723,000–
191628,000–
191533,000–
191441,000–
191345,000–
191246,000–
191145,000–
191028,000–
190927,000–
190827,000–
190728,000–
190628,000–
190534,000–
190431,000–
190331,000–
190235,000–
190131,000–
190031,000–
189929,000–
189829,000–
189729,000–
189629,000–
189529,000–
189429,000–
189329,000–
189230,000–
189134,000–
189042,000–
188938,000–
188838,000–
188737,000–
188644,000–
188546,000–
188446,000–
188345,000–
188244,000–
188143,000–
188041,000–
187940,000–
187840,000–
187739,000–
187641,000–
187541,000–
187440,000–
187339,000–
187239,000–
187139,000–
187039,000–
186939,000–
186839,000–
186738,000–
186638,000–
186539,000–
186439,000–
186339,000–
186239,000–
186139,000–
186039,000–
185938,000–
185838,000–
185738,000–
185638,000–
185538,000–
185433,000–
185331,000–
185229,000–
185130,000–
185030,000–
184931,000–
184832,000–
184733,000–
184632,000–
184532,000–
184430,000–
184328,000–
184226,000–
184124,000–
184022,000–
183932,000–
183832,000–
183743,000–
183632,000–
183532,000–
183432,000–
183338,000–
183238,000–
183180,000–
183030,000–
182929,000–
182829,000–
182729,000–
182628,000–
182528,000–
182428,000–
182328,000–
182227,000–
182127,000–
182027,000–
181927,000–
181827,000–
181727,000–
181626,000–
  • 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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