Armed forces personnel in Australia
Australia: Armed forces personnel was 60,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Australia, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Australia is 60,000, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Australia peaked at 70,400 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 50,900, in 2002.
That places Australia 64th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 70,200 | 70,000 | 70,400 | 2 |
| 1990s | 62,590 | 56,200 | 68,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 53,035 | 50,900 | 56,552 | 10 |
| 2010s | 57,400 | 56,200 | 59,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 60,000 | 60,000 | 60,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 62 Uzbekistan 68,000 compare
- 63 United Arab Emirates 63,000 compare
- 65 Singapore 59,000 compare
- 66 Turkmenistan 57,000 compare
- 67 South Sudan 53,000 compare
More reference data data for Australia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.4864 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8615 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.13 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0026 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4713 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 148.46 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Australia?
- Armed forces personnel in Australia was 60,000 in 2020, according to The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 70,400 in 1985.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 50,900 in 2002.
- How does Australia rank for armed forces personnel?
- Australia ranks 64th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Armed forces personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.