Armed forces personnel in Hungary
Hungary: Armed forces personnel was 46,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Hungary, 1985–2020
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 Hungary stood at 46,000.
The figure is up 15.0% on the previous year and up 33.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Hungary peaked at 109,000 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 34,587, in 2010.
That places Hungary 73rd 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 Hungary, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 106,000 | — |
| 1989 | 109,000 | +2.8% |
| 1990 | 94,000 | -13.8% |
| 1991 | 87,000 | -7.4% |
| 1992 | 78,000 | -10.3% |
| 1993 | 65,000 | -16.7% |
| 1994 | 60,000 | -7.7% |
| 1995 | 73,000 | +21.7% |
| 1996 | 78,100 | +7.0% |
| 1997 | 74,100 | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 70,800 | -4.5% |
| 1999 | 65,000 | -8.2% |
| 2000 | 57,800 | -11.1% |
| 2001 | 47,800 | -17.3% |
| 2002 | 47,400 | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 47,400 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 46,000 | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 44,000 | -4.3% |
| 2006 | 44,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 37,000 | -15.9% |
| 2008 | 37,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 41,626 | +12.5% |
| 2010 | 34,587 | -16.9% |
| 2011 | 38,500 | +11.3% |
| 2012 | 38,500 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 38,500 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 38,500 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 38,500 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 39,800 | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 40,000 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 39,800 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 40,000 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 46,000 | +15.0% |
Hungary compared with similar countries
- Hungary's 46,000 is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 1.8× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Hungary's 46,000 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 107,500 | 106,000 | 109,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 74,500 | 60,000 | 94,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 45,003 | 37,000 | 57,800 | 10 |
| 2010s | 38,669 | 34,587 | 40,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 46,000 | 46,000 | 46,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Hungary
More reference data data for Hungary
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5538 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1724 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.5679 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.6937 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.77 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 3.09 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Hungary?
- Armed forces personnel in Hungary was 46,000 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 Hungary?
- The highest recorded value was 109,000 in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Hungary?
- The lowest recorded value was 34,587 in 2010.
- How does Hungary rank for armed forces personnel?
- Hungary ranks 73rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Hungary?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Hungary 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.