Portugal vs Turkmenistan: Armed forces personnel

Portugal
52,000
in 2020
Turkmenistan
57,000
in 2020
Portugal rank
68th
Turkmenistan rank
66th

Armed forces personnel over time

  • Portugal
  • Turkmenistan
025.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k198520022020

How they compare

Turkmenistan currently reports 57,000 against 52,000 in Portugal, a difference of 5,000.

That makes Turkmenistan's figure about 1.1 times Portugal's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 29 shared years of data; in 1992 it was Portugal ahead.

Portugal ranks 68th and Turkmenistan ranks 66th of 173 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Portugal averaged higher in 3 and Turkmenistan in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Portugal Turkmenistan Difference Ahead
1990s 95,412 19,500 75,912 Portugal
2000s 91,114 21,850 69,264 Portugal
2010s 73,323 32,800 40,523 Portugal
2020s 52,000 57,000 5,000 Turkmenistan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, Portugal or Turkmenistan?
Turkmenistan, at 57,000 against 52,000 in Portugal as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Portugal and Turkmenistan?
5,000, with Turkmenistan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and Turkmenistan?
29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.
How do Portugal and Turkmenistan rank globally for armed forces personnel?
Portugal ranks 68th and Turkmenistan ranks 66th 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

Indicator
Armed forces personnel
Source
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
173 places, 5,352 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.