United Kingdom

Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom

Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom: 334,000 people in 1985 and 153,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates.

Latest, 2020
153,000 people
Since 1985
−181,000 people
Rank, 2020
41 of 170
counting from the highest
World, 2020
27.4 million people
Watch it change on the map

people · IISS

Armed forces personnel in United KingdomArmed forces personnel in United Kingdom: 334,000 people in 1985 and 153,000 people in 2020, by IISS estimates. The highest was 334,000 people in 1985, the lowest 148,000 people in 2017.
Estimates, IISSEstimates, Correlates of WarWorld

What the numbers say

  • The highest was 334,000 people in 1985, the lowest 148,000 people in 2017.
  • Older estimates from Correlates of War reach back to 1816: 255,000 people.

Every year

people · IISS

YearUnited KingdomWorld
2020153,00027.4 million
2019149,00027.7 million
2018148,50027.7 million
2017148,00027.4 million
2016150,30027.5 million
2015152,40027.4 million
2014154,70027.3 million
2013159,20027.2 million
2012169,20028.2 million
2011165,70028 million
2010174,00028.1 million
2009178,50027.9 million
2008160,00027.5 million
2007160,00027.3 million
2006181,00027 million
2005217,00028.5 million
2004205,00027.1 million
2003212,60028.2 million
2002210,40028.3 million
2001211,40028.2 million
2000212,50029.4 million
1999218,00029.6 million
1998218,00029.9 million
1997218,00029.9 million
1996221,00030.2 million
1995233,00030.2 million
1994257,00023.2 million
1993271,00023.7 million
1992293,00024.5 million
1991301,00022.7 million
1990308,00023.9 million
1989318,00024.3 million
1985334,00022.2 million
1984336,000–
1983333,000–
1982335,000–
1981341,000–
1980330,000–
1979324,000–
1978320,000–
1977326,000–
1976337,000–
1975348,000–
1974359,000–
1973377,000–
1972370,000–
1971370,000–
1970390,000–
1969390,000–
1968410,000–
1967425,000–
1966425,000–
1965425,000–
1964435,000–
1963450,000–
1962475,000–
1961475,000–
1960519,000–
1959565,000–
1958614,000–
1957702,000–
1956761,000–
1955809,000–
1954839,000–
1953865,000–
1952872,000–
1951826,000–
1950689,000–
1949770,000–
1948847,000–
19471.3 million–
19462.05 million–
19455.09 million–
19444.9 million–
19434.15 million–
19423.39 million–
19412.3 million–
19401.02 million–
1939394,000–
1938376,000–
1937350,000–
1936336,000–
1935321,000–
1934318,000–
1933316,000–
1932317,000–
1931319,000–
1930318,000–
1929325,000–
1928330,000–
1927338,000–
1926341,000–
1925342,000–
1924337,000–
1923337,000–
1922368,000–
1921448,000–
1920596,000–
19191.33 million–
19184.22 million–
19174.43 million–
19154.35 million–
1914532,000–
1913533,000–
1912523,000–
1911376,000–
1910372,000–
1909381,000–
1908364,000–
1907369,000–
1906384,000–
1905394,000–
1904409,000–
1903416,000–
1902489,000–
1901521,000–
1900487,000–
1899331,000–
1898331,000–
1897319,000–
1896315,000–
1895309,000–
1894302,000–
1893294,000–
1892288,000–
1891281,000–
1890278,000–
1889275,000–
1888273,000–
1887273,000–
1886265,000–
1885256,000–
1884240,000–
1883239,000–
1882247,000–
1881247,000–
1880248,000–
1879260,000–
1878261,000–
1877251,000–
1876244,000–
1875245,000–
1874248,000–
1873252,000–
1872254,000–
1871241,000–
1870257,000–
1869270,000–
1868279,000–
1867283,000–
1866286,000–
1865296,000–
1864290,000–
1863312,000–
1862305,000–
1861316,000–
1860347,000–
1859315,000–
1858292,000–
1857272,000–
1856382,000–
1855329,000–
1854234,000–
1853213,000–
1852201,000–
1851198,000–
1850201,000–
1849203,000–
1848208,000–
1847193,000–
1846191,000–
1845178,000–
1844185,000–
1843158,000–
1842184,000–
1841173,000–
1840168,000–
1839159,000–
1838155,000–
1837143,000–
1836143,000–
1835136,000–
1834137,000–
1833144,000–
1832145,000–
1831150,000–
1830140,000–
1829148,000–
1828155,000–
1827155,000–
1826149,000–
1825132,000–
1824132,000–
1823125,000–
1822125,000–
1821139,000–
1820144,000–
1819143,000–
1818173,000–
1817190,000–
1816255,000–
  • 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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