Germany vs Spain: Armed forces personnel
Germany
183,000
in 2020
Spain
199,000
in 2020
Germany rank
35th
Spain rank
32nd
Armed forces personnel over time
- Germany
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 199,000 against 183,000 in Germany, a difference of 16,000.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.1 times Germany's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Germany ahead.
Germany ranks 35th and Spain ranks 32nd of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 3 and Spain in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Germany | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 490,500 | 298,500 | 192,000 | Germany |
| 1990s | 396,410 | 249,312 | 147,098 | Germany |
| 2000s | 266,446 | 226,112 | 40,334 | Germany |
| 2010s | 189,586 | 205,772 | 16,185 | Spain |
| 2020s | 183,000 | 199,000 | 16,000 | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Germany or Spain?
- Spain, at 199,000 against 183,000 in Germany as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Germany and Spain?
- 16,000, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Spain?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Germany and Spain rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Germany ranks 35th and Spain ranks 32nd 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.