Myanmar vs Vietnam: Armed forces personnel
Myanmar
463,000
in 2020
Vietnam
522,000
in 2020
Myanmar rank
14th
Vietnam rank
12th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Myanmar
- Vietnam
How they compare
Vietnam currently reports 522,000 against 463,000 in Myanmar, a difference of 59,000.
That makes Vietnam's figure about 1.1 times Myanmar's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Vietnam ahead.
Myanmar ranks 14th and Vietnam ranks 12th of 173 countries.
Vietnam has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Myanmar | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 193,000 | 1.14 million | 945,500 | Vietnam |
| 1990s | 351,655 | 735,300 | 383,645 | Vietnam |
| 2000s | 505,328 | 507,889 | 2,561 | Vietnam |
| 2010s | 513,175 | 522,000 | 8,825 | Vietnam |
| 2020s | 463,000 | 522,000 | 59,000 | Vietnam |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Myanmar or Vietnam?
- Vietnam, at 522,000 against 463,000 in Myanmar as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Myanmar and Vietnam?
- 59,000, with Vietnam ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Myanmar and Vietnam?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Myanmar and Vietnam rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Myanmar ranks 14th and Vietnam ranks 12th 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.