Austria vs Belgium: Armed forces personnel
Austria
23,000
in 2020
Belgium
24,000
in 2020
Austria rank
98th
Belgium rank
96th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Austria
- Belgium
How they compare
Belgium currently reports 24,000 against 23,000 in Austria, a difference of 1,000.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Belgium ahead.
Austria ranks 98th and Belgium ranks 96th of 173 countries.
Belgium has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Austria | Belgium | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 51,350 | 100,800 | 49,450 | Belgium |
| 1990s | 46,410 | 63,240 | 16,830 | Belgium |
| 2000s | 35,920 | 38,918 | 2,998 | Belgium |
| 2010s | 22,641 | 33,524 | 10,883 | Belgium |
| 2020s | 23,000 | 24,000 | 1,000 | Belgium |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Austria or Belgium?
- Belgium, at 24,000 against 23,000 in Austria as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Austria and Belgium?
- 1,000, with Belgium ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Austria and Belgium?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Austria and Belgium rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Austria ranks 98th and Belgium ranks 96th 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.