Armed forces personnel in Japan
Japan: Armed forces personnel was 261,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Japan, 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 Japan stood at 261,000.
That represents a change of up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Japan peaked at 272,000 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 233,000, in 1994.
That places Japan 27th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 245,000 | 243,000 | 247,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 247,280 | 233,000 | 254,600 | 10 |
| 2000s | 252,438 | 242,000 | 272,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 260,371 | 259,800 | 261,150 | 10 |
| 2020s | 261,000 | 261,000 | 261,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Japan
More reference data data for Japan
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.24 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.1053 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.7172 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.9 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.5865 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 118.04 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 Japan?
- Armed forces personnel in Japan was 261,000 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 272,000 in 2005.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 233,000 in 1994.
- How does Japan rank for armed forces personnel?
- Japan ranks 27th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Japan 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.