Armed forces personnel in Iceland
Iceland: Armed forces personnel was 0 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Iceland, 1995–2020
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 Iceland stood at 0. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Iceland peaked at 250 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2017.
Iceland ranks 169th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 108 | 100 | 120 | 5 |
| 2000s | 115 | 100 | 130 | 8 |
| 2010s | 154.44 | 0 | 250 | 9 |
| 2020s | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 169 Antigua and Barbuda 0 compare
- 169 Libya 0 compare
- 169 Palestine 0 compare
- 169 Seychelles 0 compare
More reference data data for Iceland
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.5453 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.1076 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.09 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.653 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 3.5 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 179.82 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 Iceland?
- Armed forces personnel in Iceland was 0 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 250 in 2015.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2017.
- How does Iceland rank for armed forces personnel?
- Iceland ranks 169th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Iceland 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.