Portugal vs Zimbabwe: Armed forces personnel
Portugal
52,000
in 2020
Zimbabwe
51,000
in 2020
Portugal rank
68th
Zimbabwe rank
69th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Portugal
- Zimbabwe
How they compare
Portugal currently reports 52,000 against 51,000 in Zimbabwe, a difference of 1,000.
Across all 33 years both countries report, Portugal has been ahead every year.
Portugal ranks 68th and Zimbabwe ranks 69th of 173 countries.
Portugal has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Portugal | Zimbabwe | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 88,500 | 46,000 | 42,500 | Portugal |
| 1990s | 93,630 | 54,400 | 39,230 | Portugal |
| 2000s | 91,114 | 53,600 | 37,514 | Portugal |
| 2010s | 73,323 | 50,860 | 22,463 | Portugal |
| 2020s | 52,000 | 51,000 | 1,000 | Portugal |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Portugal or Zimbabwe?
- Portugal, at 52,000 against 51,000 in Zimbabwe as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Portugal and Zimbabwe?
- 1,000, with Portugal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and Zimbabwe?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Portugal and Zimbabwe rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Portugal ranks 68th and Zimbabwe ranks 69th 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.