Australia vs Singapore: Armed forces personnel
Australia
60,000
in 2020
Singapore
59,000
in 2020
Australia rank
64th
Singapore rank
65th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Australia
- Singapore
How they compare
Australia currently reports 60,000 against 59,000 in Singapore, a difference of 1,000.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Australia ahead.
Australia ranks 64th and Singapore ranks 65th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 2 and Singapore in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | Singapore | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 70,200 | 55,500 | 14,700 | Australia |
| 1990s | 62,590 | 95,050 | 32,460 | Singapore |
| 2000s | 53,035 | 162,910 | 109,875 | Singapore |
| 2010s | 57,400 | 123,210 | 65,810 | Singapore |
| 2020s | 60,000 | 59,000 | 1,000 | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Australia or Singapore?
- Australia, at 60,000 against 59,000 in Singapore as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Australia and Singapore?
- 1,000, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Singapore?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Australia and Singapore rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Australia ranks 64th and Singapore ranks 65th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.