Belgium vs Norway: Armed forces personnel
Belgium
24,000
in 2020
Norway
25,000
in 2020
Belgium rank
96th
Norway rank
94th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Belgium
- Norway
How they compare
Norway currently reports 25,000 against 24,000 in Belgium, a difference of 1,000.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 96th and Norway ranks 94th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 4 and Norway in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Norway | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 100,800 | 40,000 | 60,800 | Belgium |
| 1990s | 63,240 | 34,857 | 28,383 | Belgium |
| 2000s | 38,918 | 25,935 | 12,983 | Belgium |
| 2010s | 33,524 | 24,445 | 9,079 | Belgium |
| 2020s | 24,000 | 25,000 | 1,000 | Norway |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Belgium or Norway?
- Norway, at 25,000 against 24,000 in Belgium as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Belgium and Norway?
- 1,000, with Norway ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Norway?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Belgium and Norway rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Belgium ranks 96th and Norway ranks 94th 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.