Turkey vs Vietnam: Armed forces personnel
Turkey
512,000
in 2020
Vietnam
522,000
in 2020
Turkey rank
13th
Vietnam rank
12th
Armed forces personnel over time
- Turkey
- Vietnam
How they compare
Vietnam currently reports 522,000 against 512,000 in Turkey, a difference of 10,000.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 32 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Vietnam ahead.
Turkey ranks 13th and Vietnam ranks 12th of 173 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Turkey averaged higher in 3 and Vietnam in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Turkey | Vietnam | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 705,000 | 1.14 million | 433,500 | Vietnam |
| 1990s | 765,480 | 735,300 | 30,180 | Turkey |
| 2000s | 654,356 | 507,889 | 146,467 | Turkey |
| 2010s | 562,420 | 522,000 | 40,420 | Turkey |
| 2020s | 512,000 | 522,000 | 10,000 | Vietnam |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher armed forces personnel, Turkey or Vietnam?
- Vietnam, at 522,000 against 512,000 in Turkey as of 2020.
- What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Turkey and Vietnam?
- 10,000, with Vietnam ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Turkey and Vietnam?
- 32 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
- How do Turkey and Vietnam rank globally for armed forces personnel?
- Turkey ranks 13th and Vietnam ranks 12th 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.