Colombia vs Japan: Military personnel

Colombia
256,000 people
in 2022
Japan
247,000 people
in 2022
Colombia rank
20th
Japan rank
22nd

Military personnel over time

  • Colombia
  • Japan
02.0M4.0M6.0M183119262022

How they compare

Colombia currently reports 256,000 people against 247,000 people in Japan, a difference of 9,000 people.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 154 shared years of data; in 1860 it was Japan ahead.

Colombia ranks 20th and Japan ranks 22nd of 194 countries.

Across the 17 decades both report, Colombia averaged higher in 2 and Japan in 15.

Head to head by decade

Decade Colombia Japan Difference Ahead
1860s 1,900 people 4,200 people 2,300 people Japan
1870s 2,200 people 32,700 people 30,500 people Japan
1880s 4,100 people 53,500 people 49,400 people Japan
1890s 4,500 people 113,800 people 109,300 people Japan
1900s 6,000 people 235,300 people 229,300 people Japan
1910s 6,100 people 435,400 people 429,300 people Japan
1920s 6,900 people 299,300 people 292,400 people Japan
1930s 11,700 people 427,100 people 415,400 people Japan
1940s 11,000 people 4.50 million people 4.49 million people Japan
1950s 16,750 people 192,500 people 175,750 people Japan
1960s 48,300 people 239,000 people 190,700 people Japan
1970s 53,500 people 236,000 people 182,500 people Japan
1980s 73,000 people 243,000 people 170,000 people Japan
1990s 139,400 people 245,200 people 105,800 people Japan
2000s 201,600 people 240,700 people 39,100 people Japan
2010s 288,600 people 245,500 people 43,100 people Colombia
2020s 268,333 people 247,000 people 21,333 people Colombia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military personnel, Colombia or Japan?
Colombia, at 256,000 people against 247,000 people in Japan as of 2022.
What is the difference in military personnel between Colombia and Japan?
9,000 people, with Colombia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Colombia and Japan?
154 years are reported by both, from 1860 to 2022.
How do Colombia and Japan rank globally for military personnel?
Colombia ranks 20th and Japan ranks 22nd of 194 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Military personnel
Unit
people
Source
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed

Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.