Armed forces personnel in Venezuela
Venezuela: Armed forces personnel was 343,000 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel in Venezuela, 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 Venezuela stood at 343,000. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.
That represents a change of up 198.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in Venezuela peaked at 343,000 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 49,000, in 1985.
That places Venezuela 18th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Armed forces personnel in Venezuela, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 49,000 | — |
| 1989 | 75,000 | +53.1% |
| 1990 | 75,000 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 73,000 | -2.7% |
| 1992 | 75,000 | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 75,000 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 75,000 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 80,000 | +6.7% |
| 1996 | 79,000 | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 79,000 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 79,000 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 79,000 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 79,000 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 105,300 | +33.3% |
| 2002 | 105,300 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 105,300 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 82,000 | -22.1% |
| 2005 | 82,000 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 115,000 | +40.2% |
| 2008 | 115,000 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 115,000 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 115,000 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 115,000 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 115,000 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 115,000 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 265,000 | +130.4% |
| 2015 | 265,000 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 273,000 | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 343,000 | +25.6% |
| 2018 | 343,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 343,000 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 343,000 | +0.0% |
Venezuela compared with similar countries
- Venezuela's 343,000 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 23,000, 14.9× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Venezuela's 343,000 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 28,500, 12.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 62,000 | 49,000 | 75,000 | 2 |
| 1990s | 76,900 | 73,000 | 80,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 100,433 | 79,000 | 115,000 | 9 |
| 2010s | 229,200 | 115,000 | 343,000 | 10 |
| 2020s | 343,000 | 343,000 | 343,000 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Venezuela
More reference data data for Venezuela
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 6.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2667 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 10.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 4.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 38.02 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 53.46 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.45 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in Venezuela?
- Armed forces personnel in Venezuela was 343,000 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 Venezuela?
- The highest recorded value was 343,000 in 2017.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in Venezuela?
- The lowest recorded value was 49,000 in 1985.
- How does Venezuela rank for armed forces personnel?
- Venezuela ranks 18th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in Venezuela?
- Over the last ten years it is up 198.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Venezuela 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.