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 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in Malta, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 800 | — |
| 1989 | 2,000 | +150.0% |
| 1990 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 1,900 | -5.0% |
| 1996 | 2,000 | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 1,950 | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 1,900 | -2.6% |
| 1999 | 1,900 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 2,100 | +10.5% |
| 2001 | 2,100 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 2,100 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 2,100 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 2,000 | -4.8% |
| 2005 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 2,121 | +6.0% |
| 2010 | 2,127 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 2,120 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 2,130 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 2,130 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2,130 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2,130 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2,130 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2,000 | -6.1% |
| 2018 | 1,750 | -12.5% |
| 2019 | 2,000 | +14.3% |
| 2020 | 2,000 | +0.0% |
Malta compared with similar countries
- Malta's 2,000 is below the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 8% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Malta's 2,000 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 80,000, 2% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
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
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0121 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0042 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0205 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0008 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0205 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0404 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0227 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0192 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.1009 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0043 (2050)
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 countries 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.