Armed forces personnel in Malaysia
Malaysia: Armed forces personnel was 136,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Malaysia, 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 Malaysia is 136,000, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Malaysia peaked at 140,300 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 110,000, in 1985.
That places Malaysia 45th 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 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 112,500 | 110,000 | 115,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 128,340 | 115,000 | 140,300 | 10 |
| 2000s | 128,150 | 116,100 | 135,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 134,320 | 133,600 | 136,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 136,000 | 136,000 | 136,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3171 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.4881 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0702 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2047 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4538 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 134.6 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 Malaysia?
- Armed forces personnel in Malaysia was 136,000 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 140,300 in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 110,000 in 1985.
- How does Malaysia rank for armed forces personnel?
- Malaysia ranks 45th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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.