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.
Armed forces personnel in Iceland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 100 | — |
| 1996 | 100 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 120 | +20.0% |
| 1998 | 120 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 100 | -16.7% |
| 2000 | 100 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 100 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 100 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 100 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 130 | +30.0% |
| 2007 | 130 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 130 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 130 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 130 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 180 | +38.5% |
| 2012 | 180 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 200 | +11.1% |
| 2014 | 200 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 250 | +25.0% |
| 2016 | 250 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 0 | -100.0% |
| 2019 | 0 | — |
| 2020 | 0 | — |
Iceland compared with similar countries
- Iceland's 0 is below the median for high income countries, which is 25,000. (57 countries reporting)
- Iceland's 0 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500. (48 countries reporting)
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
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0288 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0708 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1854 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0001 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.1854 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0964 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.062 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.2576 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.7664 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0005 (2050)
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.
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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.