Armed forces personnel in Ecuador
Ecuador: Armed forces personnel was 42,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Ecuador, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Ecuador recorded 42,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
That represents a change of down 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Ecuador peaked at 59,800 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 40,750, in 2014.
That places Ecuador 77th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 44,250 | 42,500 | 46,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 56,391 | 53,000 | 57,400 | 10 |
| 2000s | 56,392 | 46,270 | 59,800 | 10 |
| 2010s | 48,195 | 40,750 | 58,983 | 10 |
| 2020s | 42,000 | 42,000 | 42,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
- 75 Chad 45,000 compare
- 76 Guatemala 43,000 compare
- 77 El Salvador 42,000 compare
- 79 Mali 41,000 compare
- 79 Netherlands 41,000 compare
More reference data data for Ecuador
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.07 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.55 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3544 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.6442 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.8108 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 133.99 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Ecuador?
- Armed forces personnel in Ecuador was 42,000 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 59,800 in 2001.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 40,750 in 2014.
- How does Ecuador rank for armed forces personnel?
- Ecuador ranks 77th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador 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.