Armed forces personnel in Uruguay
Uruguay: Armed forces personnel was 22,000 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in Uruguay, 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 Uruguay stood at 22,000. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
The figure is down 13.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Uruguay peaked at 31,900 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 22,000, in 2017.
Uruguay ranks 100th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in Uruguay, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 31,900 | — |
| 1989 | 27,000 | -15.4% |
| 1990 | 25,000 | -7.4% |
| 1991 | 25,000 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 25,000 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 25,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 25,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 26,500 | +6.0% |
| 1996 | 26,520 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 26,050 | -1.8% |
| 1998 | 26,520 | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 26,520 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 24,600 | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 24,800 | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 24,800 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 24,900 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 24,920 | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 24,920 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 25,900 | +3.9% |
| 2008 | 25,900 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 25,439 | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 25,439 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 25,450 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 25,450 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 25,450 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 25,450 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 25,450 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 25,450 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 22,000 | -13.6% |
| 2018 | 22,100 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 22,000 | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 22,000 | +0.0% |
Uruguay compared with similar countries
- Uruguay's 22,000 is below the median for high income countries, which is 25,000, 88% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Uruguay's 22,000 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28,500, 77% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 29,450 | 27,000 | 31,900 | 2 |
| 1990s | 25,711 | 25,000 | 26,520 | 10 |
| 2000s | 25,131 | 24,600 | 25,900 | 9 |
| 2010s | 24,424 | 22,000 | 25,450 | 10 |
| 2020s | 22,000 | 22,000 | 22,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Uruguay
More reference data data for Uruguay
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2999 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.87 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 6.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3685 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 6.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.2195 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 33.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.01 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Uruguay?
- Armed forces personnel in Uruguay was 22,000 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 Uruguay?
- The highest recorded value was 31,900 in 1985.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Uruguay?
- The lowest recorded value was 22,000 in 2017.
- How does Uruguay rank for armed forces personnel?
- Uruguay ranks 100th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Uruguay?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Uruguay 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
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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.