Armed forces personnel in Canada
Canada: Armed forces personnel was 72,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Canada, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Canada recorded 72,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
The figure is up 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Canada peaked at 88,000 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 61,600, in 2002.
That places Canada 58th 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.
Armed forces personnel in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 83,000 | — |
| 1989 | 88,000 | +6.0% |
| 1990 | 87,000 | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 86,000 | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 82,000 | -4.7% |
| 1993 | 76,000 | -7.3% |
| 1994 | 75,000 | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 75,700 | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 79,800 | +5.4% |
| 1997 | 72,700 | -8.9% |
| 1998 | 69,950 | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 69,950 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 68,500 | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 66,100 | -3.5% |
| 2002 | 61,600 | -6.8% |
| 2003 | 61,600 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 71,000 | +15.3% |
| 2005 | 71,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 64,000 | -9.9% |
| 2007 | 64,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 64,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 65,722 | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 65,700 | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 65,700 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 66,000 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 65,700 | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 70,200 | +6.8% |
| 2015 | 67,500 | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 67,500 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 72,000 | +6.7% |
| 2018 | 72,400 | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 72,000 | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 72,000 | +0.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 72,000 is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 2.9× the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 85,500 | 83,000 | 88,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 77,410 | 69,950 | 87,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 65,752 | 61,600 | 71,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 68,470 | 65,700 | 72,400 | 10 |
| 2020s | 72,000 | 72,000 | 72,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 55 Azerbaijan 82,000 compare
- 56 Lebanon 80,000 compare
- 57 Cuba 76,000 compare
- 59 Bolivia 71,000 compare
- 59 Dominican Republic 71,000 compare
- 59 Kazakhstan 71,000 compare
More reference data data for Canada
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Canada?
- Armed forces personnel in Canada was 72,000 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 88,000 in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 61,600 in 2002.
- How does Canada rank for armed forces personnel?
- Canada ranks 58th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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.