Russia vs United States: Armed forces personnel
Russia
1.45 million
in 2020
United States
1.40 million
in 2020
Russia rank
4th
United States rank
5th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Russia
- United States
How they compare
Russia currently reports 1.45 million against 1.40 million in United States, a difference of 59,000.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 29 shared years of data; in 1992 it was United States ahead.
Russia ranks 4th and United States ranks 5th of 173 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Russia averaged higher in 1 and United States in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Russia | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.65 million | 1.67 million | 17,612 | United States |
| 2000s | 1.44 million | 1.50 million | 62,130 | United States |
| 2010s | 1.40 million | 1.42 million | 20,762 | United States |
| 2020s | 1.45 million | 1.40 million | 59,000 | Russia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Russia or United States?
- Russia, at 1.45 million against 1.40 million in United States as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Russia and United States?
- 59,000, with Russia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Russia and United States?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.
- How do Russia and United States rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Russia ranks 4th and United States ranks 5th of 173 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.