Armed forces personnel in Estonia
Estonia: Armed forces personnel was 7,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Estonia, 1992–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Estonia recorded 7,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
That represents a change of up 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Estonia peaked at 8,100 in 2002 and was at its lowest, 3,000, in 1992.
Estonia ranks 142nd of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5,505 | 3,000 | 7,600 | 8 |
| 2000s | 7,155 | 5,450 | 8,100 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6,125 | 5,750 | 7,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 7,000 | 7,000 | 7,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More reference data data for Estonia
- Spring temperature anomalies 4.64 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.4 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -5.32 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.35 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 3.22 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 179.99 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 Estonia?
- Armed forces personnel in Estonia was 7,000 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 Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 8,100 in 2002.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,000 in 1992.
- How does Estonia rank for armed forces personnel?
- Estonia ranks 142nd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Estonia 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.