Armed forces personnel in Bahrain
Bahrain: Armed forces personnel was 19,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Bahrain, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in Bahrain stood at 19,000.
The figure is down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Bahrain peaked at 21,400 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 2,800, in 1985.
Bahrain ranks 108th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3,900 | 2,800 | 5,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 14,115 | 7,000 | 21,150 | 10 |
| 2000s | 20,316 | 19,000 | 21,400 | 10 |
| 2010s | 19,342 | 19,000 | 19,460 | 10 |
| 2020s | 19,000 | 19,000 | 19,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
More reference data data for Bahrain
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.729 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.4928 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.2403 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.6871 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.24 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 120.52 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Bahrain?
- Armed forces personnel in Bahrain was 19,000 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 Bahrain?
- The highest recorded value was 21,400 in 2003.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Bahrain?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,800 in 1985.
- How does Bahrain rank for armed forces personnel?
- Bahrain ranks 108th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bahrain 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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CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.