Armed forces personnel in Mexico
Mexico: Armed forces personnel was 341,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Mexico, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Mexico recorded 341,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
The figure is up 4.0% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Mexico peaked at 348,000 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 129,100, in 1985.
That places Mexico 19th 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 | 141,550 | 129,100 | 154,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 182,777 | 175,000 | 193,770 | 10 |
| 2000s | 242,895 | 203,000 | 331,750 | 10 |
| 2010s | 333,685 | 325,450 | 348,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 341,000 | 341,000 | 341,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More reference data data for Mexico
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.01 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.304 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.6991 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5606 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 191.45 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 Mexico?
- Armed forces personnel in Mexico was 341,000 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 Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 348,000 in 2018.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 129,100 in 1985.
- How does Mexico rank for armed forces personnel?
- Mexico ranks 19th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mexico 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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CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.