Armed forces personnel in Singapore
Singapore: Armed forces personnel was 59,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel in Singapore, 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 Singapore stood at 59,000.
That represents a change of down 60.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Singapore peaked at 181,000 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 55,000, in 1985.
Singapore ranks 65th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 55,500 | 55,000 | 56,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 95,050 | 56,000 | 181,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 162,910 | 147,500 | 168,800 | 10 |
| 2010s | 123,210 | 59,000 | 147,600 | 10 |
| 2020s | 59,000 | 59,000 | 59,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
- 62 Uzbekistan 68,000 compare
- 63 United Arab Emirates 63,000 compare
- 64 Australia 60,000 compare
- 66 Turkmenistan 57,000 compare
- 67 South Sudan 53,000 compare
- 68 Portugal 52,000 compare
More reference data data for Singapore
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Consumer price index 134.36 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Democracy 3 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 4 (2025)
- Free country 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Singapore?
- Armed forces personnel in Singapore was 59,000 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 Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 181,000 in 1999.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 55,000 in 1985.
- How does Singapore rank for armed forces personnel?
- Singapore ranks 65th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is down 60.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore 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 — 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.