Armed forces personnel in Philippines
Philippines: Armed forces personnel was 157,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Philippines, 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 Philippines stood at 157,000.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Philippines peaked at 165,500 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 104,000, in 1994.
Philippines ranks 40th of 173 countries on this measure, 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 | 113,400 | 112,000 | 114,800 | 2 |
| 1990s | 129,880 | 104,000 | 160,300 | 10 |
| 2000s | 149,900 | 146,000 | 165,500 | 10 |
| 2010s | 161,985 | 153,000 | 165,500 | 10 |
| 2020s | 157,000 | 157,000 | 157,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Philippines
More reference data data for Philippines
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.2869 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7374 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2172 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0518 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.6992 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 162.31 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 Philippines?
- Armed forces personnel in Philippines was 157,000 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 Philippines?
- The highest recorded value was 165,500 in 2009.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Philippines?
- The lowest recorded value was 104,000 in 1994.
- How does Philippines rank for armed forces personnel?
- Philippines ranks 40th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Philippines?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Philippines 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.
Download this data
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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.