Armed forces personnel in Pakistan
Pakistan: Armed forces personnel was 943,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Pakistan, 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 Pakistan stood at 943,000.
That represents a change of down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Pakistan peaked at 947,800 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 482,800, in 1985.
Pakistan ranks 6th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 501,400 | 482,800 | 520,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 703,800 | 550,000 | 846,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 915,400 | 900,000 | 923,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 940,880 | 925,800 | 947,800 | 10 |
| 2020s | 943,000 | 943,000 | 943,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More reference data data for Pakistan
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.2 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3588 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.2084 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.19 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.33 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 400.52 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Pakistan?
- Armed forces personnel in Pakistan was 943,000 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 947,800 in 2012.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 482,800 in 1985.
- How does Pakistan rank for armed forces personnel?
- Pakistan ranks 6th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.