Armed forces personnel in Cyprus
Cyprus: Armed forces personnel was 13,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Cyprus, 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 Cyprus is 13,000, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 18.8% on the previous year and up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Cyprus peaked at 16,000 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 10,000, in 1985.
That places Cyprus 121st out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in Cyprus, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 10,000 | — |
| 1989 | 14,000 | +40.0% |
| 1990 | 10,000 | -28.6% |
| 1991 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 10,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 14,000 | +40.0% |
| 1996 | 14,000 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 10,500 | -25.0% |
| 1998 | 10,620 | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 10,750 | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 10,800 | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 10,800 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 10,100 | -6.5% |
| 2003 | 10,100 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 11,000 | +8.9% |
| 2005 | 10,750 | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 10,750 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 10,750 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 10,750 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 10,750 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 12,750 | +18.6% |
| 2011 | 12,750 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 12,750 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 12,750 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12,750 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12,750 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 15,750 | +23.5% |
| 2017 | 16,000 | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 16,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 13,000 | -18.8% |
Cyprus compared with similar countries
- Cyprus's 13,000 is below the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 52% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Cyprus's 13,000 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 49% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12,000 | 10,000 | 14,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 11,234 | 10,000 | 14,000 | 8 |
| 2000s | 10,655 | 10,100 | 11,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 14,025 | 12,750 | 16,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 13,000 | 13,000 | 13,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cyprus
More reference data data for Cyprus
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.043 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0752 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1565 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0045 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.1565 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1441 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.1715 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.3058 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.7841 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0245 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Cyprus?
- Armed forces personnel in Cyprus was 13,000 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 Cyprus?
- The highest recorded value was 16,000 in 2017.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Cyprus?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,000 in 1985.
- How does Cyprus rank for armed forces personnel?
- Cyprus ranks 121st out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Cyprus?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Cyprus 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.