Military personnel in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Military personnel was 100,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in Afghanistan, 1920–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Afghanistan recorded 100,000 people for military personnel in 2022.
That represents a change of down 39.4% on the previous year and down 41.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Afghanistan peaked at 400,000 people in 1999 and was at its lowest, 27,000 people, in 2005.
That places Afghanistan 47th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 64,300 people | 55,000 people | 76,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 78,100 people | 45,000 people | 103,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 86,500 people | 60,000 people | 100,000 people | 10 |
| 1950s | 49,900 people | 41,000 people | 75,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 96,300 people | 60,000 people | 112,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 105,800 people | 80,000 people | 143,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 48,900 people | 43,000 people | 55,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 106,333 people | 45,000 people | 400,000 people | 6 |
| 2000s | 84,667 people | 27,000 people | 400,000 people | 9 |
| 2010s | 163,700 people | 94,000 people | 191,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 148,667 people | 100,000 people | 181,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More reference data data for Afghanistan
- Spring temperature anomalies 3.05 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.6919 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.1923 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.44 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 2.68 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 168.54 2010 = 100 (2024)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Afghanistan?
- Military personnel in Afghanistan was 100,000 people in 2022, according to Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest military personnel recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 400,000 people in 1999.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 27,000 people in 2005.
- How does Afghanistan rank for military personnel?
- Afghanistan ranks 47th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Military personnel. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 98 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Troops under the command of the national government, intended for use against foreign adversaries, and held ready for combat as of January 1 of the given year.