Armed forces personnel in Czechia
Czechia: Armed forces personnel was 27,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Czechia, 1993–2020
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 Czechia stood at 27,000.
The figure is up 8.0% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Czechia peaked at 107,000 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 22,245, in 2018.
That places Czechia 91st out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel in Czechia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 107,000 | — |
| 1994 | 90,000 | -15.9% |
| 1995 | 92,000 | +2.2% |
| 1996 | 75,600 | -17.8% |
| 1997 | 67,300 | -11.0% |
| 1998 | 64,700 | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 59,600 | -7.9% |
| 2000 | 63,300 | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 59,200 | -6.5% |
| 2002 | 55,000 | -7.1% |
| 2003 | 62,600 | +13.8% |
| 2004 | 27,000 | -56.9% |
| 2005 | 28,000 | +3.7% |
| 2006 | 26,000 | -7.1% |
| 2007 | 27,000 | +3.8% |
| 2008 | 27,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 26,541 | -1.7% |
| 2010 | 28,521 | +7.5% |
| 2011 | 26,750 | -6.2% |
| 2012 | 26,750 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 24,100 | -9.9% |
| 2014 | 24,800 | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 25,050 | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 23,200 | -7.4% |
| 2017 | 23,000 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 22,245 | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 25,000 | +12.4% |
| 2020 | 27,000 | +8.0% |
Czechia compared with similar countries
- Czechia's 27,000 is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 1.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Czechia's 27,000 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 1.0× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel in Czechia 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.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | -56.9% | 62,600 | 27,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 79,457 | 59,600 | 107,000 | 7 |
| 2000s | 40,164 | 26,000 | 63,300 | 10 |
| 2010s | 24,942 | 22,245 | 28,521 | 10 |
| 2020s | 27,000 | 27,000 | 27,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Czechia
More reference data data for Czechia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5039 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1071 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3319 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.5681 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 9.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.81 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Czechia?
- Armed forces personnel in Czechia was 27,000 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 Czechia?
- The highest recorded value was 107,000 in 1993.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Czechia?
- The lowest recorded value was 22,245 in 2018.
- How does Czechia rank for armed forces personnel?
- Czechia ranks 91st out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Czechia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Czechia 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.