Denmark vs Sweden: Military personnel

Denmark
15,000 people
in 2022
Sweden
15,000 people
in 2022
Denmark rank
107th
Sweden rank
107th

Military personnel over time

  • Denmark
  • Sweden
0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k181619192022

How they compare

Denmark currently reports 15,000 people against 15,000 people in Sweden, a difference of 0 people.

The two have swapped places 6 times across 163 shared years of data; in 1819 it was Sweden ahead.

Denmark ranks 107th and Sweden ranks 107th of 194 countries.

Across the 22 decades both report, Denmark averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 20.

Head to head by decade

Decade Denmark Sweden Difference Ahead
1810s 29,000 people 54,000 people 25,000 people Sweden
1820s 35,500 people 45,000 people 9,500 people Sweden
1830s 41,000 people 46,333 people 5,333 people Sweden
1840s 32,800 people 50,400 people 17,600 people Sweden
1850s 25,444 people 64,222 people 38,778 people Sweden
1860s 34,900 people 97,600 people 62,700 people Sweden
1870s 24,444 people 79,000 people 54,556 people Sweden
1880s 9,800 people 67,900 people 58,100 people Sweden
1890s 14,400 people 63,500 people 49,100 people Sweden
1900s 11,500 people 75,100 people 63,600 people Sweden
1910s 15,375 people 85,625 people 70,250 people Sweden
1920s 13,800 people 38,300 people 24,500 people Sweden
1930s 11,125 people 34,250 people 23,125 people Sweden
1940s 13,000 people 250,000 people 237,000 people Sweden
1950s 33,000 people 28,333 people 4,667 people Denmark
1960s 45,400 people 68,900 people 23,500 people Sweden
1970s 37,200 people 72,200 people 35,000 people Sweden
1980s 30,500 people 67,500 people 37,000 people Sweden
1990s 28,000 people 63,500 people 35,500 people Sweden
2000s 23,500 people 30,200 people 6,700 people Sweden
2010s 18,000 people 22,500 people 4,500 people Sweden
2020s 15,000 people 15,000 people 0 people

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military personnel, Denmark or Sweden?
Denmark, at 15,000 people against 15,000 people in Sweden as of 2022.
What is the difference in military personnel between Denmark and Sweden?
0 people, with Denmark ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Denmark and Sweden?
163 years are reported by both, from 1819 to 2022.
How do Denmark and Sweden rank globally for military personnel?
Denmark ranks 107th and Sweden ranks 107th 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.

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Denmark vs Sweden: Military personnel. Statizoid, drawing on Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/military-personnel/denmark/sweden/

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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.