Armed forces personnel in Nepal
Nepal: Armed forces personnel was 112,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Nepal, 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 Nepal stood at 112,000.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 29.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Nepal peaked at 158,600 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 25,000, in 1985.
That places Nepal 52nd 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.
Armed forces personnel in Nepal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 25,000 | — |
| 1989 | 35,000 | +40.0% |
| 1990 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 35,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 63,000 | +80.0% |
| 1996 | 71,000 | +12.7% |
| 1997 | 86,000 | +21.1% |
| 1998 | 90,000 | +4.7% |
| 1999 | 90,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 90,000 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 86,000 | -4.4% |
| 2002 | 91,000 | +5.8% |
| 2003 | 103,000 | +13.2% |
| 2004 | 131,000 | +27.2% |
| 2005 | 131,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 131,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 131,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 131,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 157,753 | +20.4% |
| 2010 | 157,753 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 157,750 | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 157,750 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 157,750 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 157,750 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 158,600 | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 158,600 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 112,000 | -29.4% |
| 2018 | 111,600 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 112,000 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 112,000 | +0.0% |
Nepal compared with similar countries
- Nepal's 112,000 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 4.9× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Nepal's 112,000 is below the median for South Asia, which is 227,000, 49% of the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 30,000 | 25,000 | 35,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 57,500 | 35,000 | 90,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 118,275 | 86,000 | 157,753 | 10 |
| 2010s | 144,155 | 111,600 | 158,600 | 10 |
| 2020s | 112,000 | 112,000 | 112,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nepal
More reference data data for Nepal
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7753 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7853 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.6 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.7974 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 19.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.28 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Nepal?
- Armed forces personnel in Nepal was 112,000 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 Nepal?
- The highest recorded value was 158,600 in 2015.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Nepal?
- The lowest recorded value was 25,000 in 1985.
- How does Nepal rank for armed forces personnel?
- Nepal ranks 52nd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Nepal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nepal 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.