Armed forces personnel in Ireland
Ireland: Armed forces personnel was 9,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Ireland, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Ireland is 9,000, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Ireland peaked at 17,000 in 1994 and was at its lowest, 8,650, in 2018.
That places Ireland 136th out of 173 regions with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13,350 | 13,000 | 13,700 | 2 |
| 1990s | 13,030 | 11,500 | 17,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 10,336 | 10,000 | 11,500 | 10 |
| 2010s | 9,201 | 8,650 | 10,460 | 10 |
| 2020s | 9,000 | 9,000 | 9,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More reference data data for Ireland
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.01 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.31 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.6528 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.5528 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.8957 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 130.04 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 Ireland?
- Armed forces personnel in Ireland was 9,000 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 17,000 in 1994.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,650 in 2018.
- How does Ireland rank for armed forces personnel?
- Ireland ranks 136th out of 173 regions with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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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CSV · JSON — 33 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.