Greece vs United Kingdom: Armed forces personnel
Greece
147,000
in 2020
United Kingdom
153,000
in 2020
Greece rank
42nd
United Kingdom rank
41st
Armed forces personnel over time
- Greece
- United Kingdom
How they compare
United Kingdom currently reports 153,000 against 147,000 in Greece, a difference of 6,000.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Greece ranks 42nd and United Kingdom ranks 41st of 173 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Greece | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 201,250 | 326,000 | 124,750 | United Kingdom |
| 1990s | 194,200 | 253,800 | 59,600 | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 165,054 | 194,837 | 29,783 | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 147,440 | 157,072 | 9,632 | United Kingdom |
| 2020s | 147,000 | 153,000 | 6,000 | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Greece or United Kingdom?
- United Kingdom, at 153,000 against 147,000 in Greece as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Greece and United Kingdom?
- 6,000, with United Kingdom ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Greece and United Kingdom?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Greece and United Kingdom rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Greece ranks 42nd and United Kingdom ranks 41st 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.