Armed forces personnel in Lithuania

Lithuania: Armed forces personnel was 37,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
37,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
82nd
of 173 countries
All-time high
39,550
in 2018
All-time low
8,900
in 1995
Years of data
29
1992–2020

Armed forces personnel in Lithuania, 1992–2020

10.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k1992200620201992: 10.0k1993: 10.0k1994: 10.0k1995: 8.9k1996: 9.9k1997: 10.1k1998: 15.0k1999: 16.0k2000: 16.6k2001: 17.2k2002: 27.3k2003: 27.3k2004: 28.0k2005: 29.0k2006: 24.0k2007: 24.0k2008: 24.0k2009: 25.2k2010: 25.2k2011: 23.4k2012: 23.4k2013: 21.9k2014: 27.4k2015: 28.3k2016: 29.6k2017: 34.0k2018: 39.5k2019: 37.0k2020: 37.0k

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 Lithuania is 37,000, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 46.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Lithuania peaked at 39,550 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 8,900, in 1995.

That places Lithuania 82nd out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11,239 8,900 16,030 8
2000s 24,264 16,600 29,000 10
2010s 28,982 21,950 39,550 10
2020s 37,000 37,000 37,000 1

Countries ranked near Lithuania

  1. 79 Mali 41,000 compare
  2. 79 Netherlands 41,000 compare
  3. 81 Yemen 40,000 compare
  4. 82 Bulgaria 37,000 compare
  5. 84 Rwanda 35,000 compare
  6. 85 Cameroon 34,000 compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Lithuania

All data for Lithuania →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel in Lithuania?
Armed forces personnel in Lithuania was 37,000 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 Lithuania?
The highest recorded value was 39,550 in 2018.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Lithuania?
The lowest recorded value was 8,900 in 1995.
How does Lithuania rank for armed forces personnel?
Lithuania ranks 82nd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Lithuania?
Over the last ten years it is up 46.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Lithuania 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

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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel
Source
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
173 places, 5,352 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.