Syria vs Ukraine: Armed forces personnel
Syria
269,000
in 2020
Ukraine
298,000
in 2020
Syria rank
26th
Ukraine rank
24th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Syria
- Ukraine
How they compare
Ukraine currently reports 298,000 against 269,000 in Syria, a difference of 29,000.
That makes Ukraine's figure about 1.1 times Syria's.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 29 shared years of data; in 1992 it was Ukraine ahead.
Syria ranks 26th and Ukraine ranks 24th of 173 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Syria averaged higher in 2 and Ukraine in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Syria | Ukraine | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 434,500 | 434,512 | 12.5 | Ukraine |
| 2000s | 414,480 | 306,182 | 108,298 | Syria |
| 2010s | 256,800 | 242,302 | 14,498 | Syria |
| 2020s | 269,000 | 298,000 | 29,000 | Ukraine |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Syria or Ukraine?
- Ukraine, at 298,000 against 269,000 in Syria as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Syria and Ukraine?
- 29,000, with Ukraine ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Syria and Ukraine?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1992 to 2020.
- How do Syria and Ukraine rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Syria ranks 26th and Ukraine ranks 24th 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.