Armed forces personnel in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Armed forces personnel was 227,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Bangladesh, 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 Bangladesh stood at 227,000.
The figure is up 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Bangladesh peaked at 252,000 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 91,300, in 1985.
Bangladesh ranks 29th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 97,150 | 91,300 | 103,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 140,830 | 103,000 | 192,200 | 10 |
| 2000s | 210,605 | 137,000 | 252,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 222,170 | 220,950 | 227,050 | 10 |
| 2020s | 227,000 | 227,000 | 227,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More reference data data for Bangladesh
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.2576 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.5165 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3245 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.07 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.3565 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 285 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 Bangladesh?
- Armed forces personnel in Bangladesh was 227,000 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 Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 252,000 in 2005.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 91,300 in 1985.
- How does Bangladesh rank for armed forces personnel?
- Bangladesh ranks 29th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Bangladesh 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.
Download this data
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.