Armed forces personnel in Trinidad and Tobago

Trinidad and Tobago: Armed forces personnel was 5,000 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
5,000
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
148th
of 173 countries
All-time high
7,500
in 1999
All-time low
2,000
in 1989
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel in Trinidad and Tobago, 1985–2020

2.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1985200220201985: 2.1k1989: 2.0k1990: 2.0k1991: 2.0k1992: 2.0k1993: 2.0k1994: 2.0k1995: 6.9k1996: 6.9k1997: 6.9k1998: 7.4k1999: 7.5k2000: 7.5k2001: 2.7k2002: 2.7k2003: 2.7k2004: 2.0k2005: 3.0k2006: 3.0k2007: 4.0k2008: 4.0k2009: 4.1k2010: 4.1k2011: 4.0k2012: 4.0k2013: 4.0k2014: 4.0k2015: 4.0k2016: 4.0k2017: 4.0k2018: 4.0k2019: 5.0k2020: 5.0k

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 Trinidad and Tobago is 5,000, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of up 23.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Trinidad and Tobago peaked at 7,500 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 2,000, in 1989.

That places Trinidad and Tobago 148th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2,050 2,000 2,100 2
1990s 4,560 2,000 7,500 10
2000s 3,566 2,000 7,500 10
2010s 4,141 4,000 5,000 10
2020s 5,000 5,000 5,000 1

Countries ranked near Trinidad and Tobago

  1. 145 Bhutan 6,000 compare
  2. 145 Jamaica 6,000 compare
  3. 145 Moldova 6,000 compare
  4. 149 Fiji 4,000 compare
  5. 149 Gambia 4,000 compare
  6. 149 Guinea-Bissau 4,000 compare
  7. 149 Papua New Guinea 4,000 compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Trinidad and Tobago

All data for Trinidad and Tobago →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel in Trinidad and Tobago?
Armed forces personnel in Trinidad and Tobago was 5,000 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 Trinidad and Tobago?
The highest recorded value was 7,500 in 1999.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Trinidad and Tobago?
The lowest recorded value was 2,000 in 1989.
How does Trinidad and Tobago rank for armed forces personnel?
Trinidad and Tobago ranks 148th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Trinidad and Tobago?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Trinidad and Tobago 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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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel
Source
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
173 places, 5,352 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.