Armed forces personnel in Serbia
Serbia: Armed forces personnel was 32,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Serbia, 1989–2020
Source: The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel in Serbia is 32,000, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Serbia peaked at 225,000 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 24,000, in 2006.
Serbia ranks 86th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel in Serbia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 225,000 | — |
| 1990 | 180,000 | -20.0% |
| 1991 | 169,000 | -6.1% |
| 1992 | 137,000 | -18.9% |
| 1993 | 100,000 | -27.0% |
| 1994 | 130,000 | +30.0% |
| 1995 | 164,500 | +26.5% |
| 1996 | 151,900 | -7.7% |
| 1997 | 152,200 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 152,200 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 146,700 | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 135,700 | -7.5% |
| 2001 | 198,500 | +46.3% |
| 2002 | 124,500 | -37.3% |
| 2003 | 109,200 | -12.3% |
| 2004 | 110,000 | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 110,000 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 24,000 | -78.2% |
| 2007 | 24,000 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 24,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 29,125 | +21.4% |
| 2010 | 29,125 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 28,150 | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 28,150 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 28,150 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 28,150 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 28,150 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 31,850 | +13.1% |
| 2017 | 32,000 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 32,150 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 32,000 | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 32,000 | +0.0% |
Serbia compared with similar countries
- Serbia's 32,000 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 64,000, 50% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
- Serbia's 32,000 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel in Serbia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | -78.2% | 110,000 | 24,000 |
| 2001 | +46.3% | 135,700 | 198,500 |
| 2002 | -37.3% | 198,500 | 124,500 |
| 1994 | +30.0% | 100,000 | 130,000 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 225,000 | 225,000 | 225,000 | 1 |
| 1990s | 148,350 | 100,000 | 180,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 88,902 | 24,000 | 198,500 | 10 |
| 2010s | 29,788 | 28,150 | 32,150 | 10 |
| 2020s | 32,000 | 32,000 | 32,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Serbia
More reference data data for Serbia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6055 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.3321 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3467 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 15.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.89 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Serbia?
- Armed forces personnel in Serbia was 32,000 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 Serbia?
- The highest recorded value was 225,000 in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Serbia?
- The lowest recorded value was 24,000 in 2006.
- How does Serbia rank for armed forces personnel?
- Serbia ranks 86th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Serbia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Serbia 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 — 32 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.