Singapore vs United Arab Emirates: Armed forces personnel
Singapore
59,000
in 2020
United Arab Emirates
63,000
in 2020
Singapore rank
65th
United Arab Emirates rank
63rd
Armed forces personnel over time
- Singapore
- United Arab Emirates
How they compare
United Arab Emirates currently reports 63,000 against 59,000 in Singapore, a difference of 4,000.
That makes United Arab Emirates's figure about 1.1 times Singapore's.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Singapore ahead.
Singapore ranks 65th and United Arab Emirates ranks 63rd of 173 regions.
Across the 5 decades both report, Singapore averaged higher in 4 and United Arab Emirates in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Singapore | United Arab Emirates | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 55,500 | 43,000 | 12,500 | Singapore |
| 1990s | 95,050 | 63,500 | 31,550 | Singapore |
| 2000s | 162,910 | 52,900 | 110,010 | Singapore |
| 2010s | 123,210 | 59,400 | 63,810 | Singapore |
| 2020s | 59,000 | 63,000 | 4,000 | United Arab Emirates |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Singapore or United Arab Emirates?
- United Arab Emirates, at 63,000 against 59,000 in Singapore as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Singapore and United Arab Emirates?
- 4,000, with United Arab Emirates ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Singapore and United Arab Emirates?
- 33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Singapore and United Arab Emirates rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Singapore ranks 65th and United Arab Emirates ranks 63rd of 173 regions.
- 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.