Armed forces personnel in Malta
Malta: Armed forces personnel was 2,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Malta, 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 Malta stood at 2,000.
That represents a change of down 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Malta peaked at 2,130 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 800, in 1985.
Malta ranks 156th of 173 regions on this measure, in the bottom 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 | 1,400 | 800 | 2,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 1,965 | 1,900 | 2,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 2,052 | 2,000 | 2,121 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2,065 | 1,750 | 2,130 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2,000 | 2,000 | 2,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More reference data data for Malta
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Consumer price index 134.53 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 1 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Malta?
- Armed forces personnel in Malta was 2,000 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 2,130 in 2012.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 800 in 1985.
- How does Malta rank for armed forces personnel?
- Malta ranks 156th out of 173 regions with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malta 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.