Armed forces personnel in New Zealand
New Zealand: Armed forces personnel was 10,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in New Zealand, 1985–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
New Zealand recorded 10,000 for armed forces personnel in 2020.
That represents a change of up 11.1% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in New Zealand peaked at 12,400 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 8,000, in 2004.
That places New Zealand 131st out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 12,200 | 12,000 | 12,400 | 2 |
| 1990s | 10,260 | 9,530 | 11,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 8,937 | 8,000 | 9,673 | 10 |
| 2010s | 8,912 | 8,500 | 9,673 | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,000 | 10,000 | 10,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 128 Bosnia and Herzegovina 11,000 compare
- 128 Burkina Faso 11,000 compare
- 128 Mozambique 11,000 compare
- 131 Central African Republic 10,000 compare
- 131 Costa Rica 10,000 compare
- 131 Niger 10,000 compare
- 131 Togo 10,000 compare
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2008 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.76 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0464 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5251 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.5536 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 144.86 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 New Zealand?
- Armed forces personnel in New Zealand was 10,000 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 12,400 in 1985.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,000 in 2004.
- How does New Zealand rank for armed forces personnel?
- New Zealand ranks 131st out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.