Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Armed forces personnel was 153,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom, 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 United Kingdom stood at 153,000.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and down 12.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in United Kingdom peaked at 334,000 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 148,000, in 2017.
That places United Kingdom 41st out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 334,000 | — |
| 1989 | 318,000 | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 308,000 | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 301,000 | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 293,000 | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 271,000 | -7.5% |
| 1994 | 257,000 | -5.2% |
| 1995 | 233,000 | -9.3% |
| 1996 | 221,000 | -5.2% |
| 1997 | 218,000 | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 218,000 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 218,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 212,500 | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 211,400 | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 210,400 | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 212,600 | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 205,000 | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 217,000 | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 181,000 | -16.6% |
| 2007 | 160,000 | -11.6% |
| 2008 | 160,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 178,470 | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 174,020 | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 165,650 | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 169,150 | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 159,150 | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 154,700 | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 152,350 | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 150,250 | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 148,000 | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 148,450 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 149,000 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 153,000 | +2.7% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 153,000 is above the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 6.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 153,000 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 26,500, 5.8× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 326,000 | 318,000 | 334,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 253,800 | 218,000 | 308,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 194,837 | 160,000 | 217,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 157,072 | 148,000 | 174,020 | 10 |
| 2020s | 153,000 | 153,000 | 153,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More reference data data for United Kingdom
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 15.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 59.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 5.48 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in United Kingdom?
- Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom was 153,000 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 334,000 in 1985.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 148,000 in 2017.
- How does United Kingdom rank for armed forces personnel?
- United Kingdom ranks 41st out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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
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.