France vs Syria: Armed forces personnel
France
304,000
in 2020
Syria
269,000
in 2020
France rank
23rd
Syria rank
26th
Armed forces personnel over time
- France
- Syria
How they compare
France currently reports 304,000 against 269,000 in Syria, a difference of 35,000.
That makes France's figure about 1.1 times Syria's.
The two have swapped places 6 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was France ahead.
France ranks 23rd and Syria ranks 26th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, France averaged higher in 4 and Syria in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Syria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 509,150 | 401,250 | 107,900 | France |
| 1990s | 495,660 | 429,200 | 66,460 | France |
| 2000s | 360,497 | 414,480 | 53,983 | Syria |
| 2010s | 315,882 | 256,800 | 59,082 | France |
| 2020s | 304,000 | 269,000 | 35,000 | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, France or Syria?
- France, at 304,000 against 269,000 in Syria as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between France and Syria?
- 35,000, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Syria?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do France and Syria rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- France ranks 23rd and Syria ranks 26th 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.