Armed forces personnel in Russia
Russia: Armed forces personnel was 1.45 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Russia, 1992–2020
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 Russia stood at 1.45 million.
The figure is up 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Russia peaked at 1.90 million in 1992 and was at its lowest, 1.26 million, in 2013.
Russia ranks 4th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.65 million | 1.40 million | 1.90 million | 8 |
| 2000s | 1.44 million | 1.37 million | 1.50 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.40 million | 1.26 million | 1.49 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.45 million | 1.45 million | 1.45 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Russia
More reference data data for Russia
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.87 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.68 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -1.2 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.03 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.367 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 283.02 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 Russia?
- Armed forces personnel in Russia was 1.45 million 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 Russia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.90 million in 1992.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Russia?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.26 million in 2013.
- How does Russia rank for armed forces personnel?
- Russia ranks 4th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Russia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Russia 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
CSV · JSON — 29 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.