Finland vs Switzerland: Military personnel
Finland
19,000 people
in 2022
Switzerland
20,000 people
in 2022
Finland rank
99th
Switzerland rank
98th
Military personnel over time
- Finland
- Switzerland
How they compare
Switzerland currently reports 20,000 people against 19,000 people in Finland, a difference of 1,000 people.
That makes Switzerland's figure about 1.1 times Finland's.
The two have swapped places 9 times across 102 shared years of data; in 1919 it was Finland ahead.
Finland ranks 99th and Switzerland ranks 98th of 194 countries.
Across the 12 decades both report, Finland averaged higher in 8 and Switzerland in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Finland | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 38,000 people | 0 people | 38,000 people | Finland |
| 1920s | 31,400 people | 0 people | 31,400 people | Finland |
| 1930s | 31,600 people | 0 people | 31,600 people | Finland |
| 1940s | 150,000 people | 278,125 people | 128,125 people | Switzerland |
| 1950s | 42,000 people | 0 people | 42,000 people | Finland |
| 1960s | 41,200 people | 21,800 people | 19,400 people | Finland |
| 1970s | 39,200 people | 23,600 people | 15,600 people | Finland |
| 1980s | 38,100 people | 22,600 people | 15,500 people | Finland |
| 1990s | 33,400 people | 34,400 people | 1,000 people | Switzerland |
| 2000s | 29,400 people | 18,500 people | 10,900 people | Finland |
| 2010s | 22,100 people | 22,400 people | 300 people | Switzerland |
| 2020s | 20,000 people | 20,333 people | 333.33 people | Switzerland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher military personnel, Finland or Switzerland?
- Switzerland, at 20,000 people against 19,000 people in Finland as of 2022.
- What is the difference in military personnel between Finland and Switzerland?
- 1,000 people, with Switzerland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Switzerland?
- 102 years are reported by both, from 1919 to 2022.
- How do Finland and Switzerland rank globally for military personnel?
- Finland ranks 99th and Switzerland ranks 98th 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
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.