Armed forces personnel in Bahamas

Bahamas: Armed forces personnel was 2,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
2,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
156th
of 173 countries
All-time high
3,200
in 1996
All-time low
500
in 1985
Years of data
27
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel in Bahamas, 1985–2020

01.0k2.0k3.0k1985200220201985: 5001995: 2.1k1996: 3.2k1997: 3.2k1998: 3.2k1999: 3.2k2000: 3.2k2001: 3.2k2002: 9002003: 9002004: 8602005: 8602006: 8602007: 8602008: 1.0k2009: 8602010: 8602011: 8502012: 8502013: 1.3k2014: 1.3k2015: 1.3k2016: 1.3k2017: 1.0k2018: 1.3k2019: 2.0k2020: 2.0k

Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.

Analysis

Bahamas recorded 2,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.

The figure is up 132.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Bahamas peaked at 3,200 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 500, in 1985.

Bahamas ranks 156th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Armed forces personnel in Bahamas, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel in Bahamas, 1985 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1985 500
1995 2,100 +320.0%
1996 3,200 +52.4%
1997 3,160 -1.2%
1998 3,160 +0.0%
1999 3,200 +1.3%
2000 3,200 +0.0%
2001 3,200 +0.0%
2002 900 -71.9%
2003 900 +0.0%
2004 860 -4.4%
2005 860 +0.0%
2006 860 +0.0%
2007 860 +0.0%
2008 1,000 +16.3%
2009 860 -14.0%
2010 860 +0.0%
2011 850 -1.2%
2012 850 +0.0%
2013 1,300 +52.9%
2014 1,300 +0.0%
2015 1,300 +0.0%
2016 1,300 +0.0%
2017 1,000 -23.1%
2018 1,300 +30.0%
2019 2,000 +53.8%
2020 2,000 +0.0%

Bahamas compared with similar countries

  • Bahamas's 2,000 is below the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 8% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
  • Bahamas's 2,000 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28,500, 7% of the median. (28 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Armed forces personnel in Bahamas changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1995 +320.0% 500 2,100
2002 -71.9% 3,200 900
2019 +53.8% 1,300 2,000
2013 +52.9% 850 1,300
1996 +52.4% 2,100 3,200
2018 +30.0% 1,000 1,300

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 500 500 500 1
1990s 2,964 2,100 3,200 5
2000s 1,350 860 3,200 10
2010s 1,206 850 2,000 10
2020s 2,000 2,000 2,000 1

Countries ranked near Bahamas

  1. 153 Eswatini 3,000 compare
  2. 153 Guyana 3,000 compare
  3. 153 Mauritius 3,000 compare
  4. 156 Belize 2,000 compare
  5. 156 East Timor 2,000 compare
  6. 156 Lesotho 2,000 compare
  7. 156 Liberia 2,000 compare
  8. 156 Malta 2,000 compare
  9. 156 Suriname 2,000 compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Bahamas

All data for Bahamas →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel in Bahamas?
Armed forces personnel in Bahamas was 2,000 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 Bahamas?
The highest recorded value was 3,200 in 1996.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Bahamas?
The lowest recorded value was 500 in 1985.
How does Bahamas rank for armed forces personnel?
Bahamas ranks 156th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Bahamas?
Over the last ten years it is up 132.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Bahamas 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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Armed forces personnel in Bahamas. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel/bahamas-the/

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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel
Source
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
173 places, 5,352 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.