Military personnel in Bhutan

Bhutan: Military personnel was 6,000 people in 2000. ▲ Rising

Latest (2000)
6,000 people
Change on year
down 25.0%
World rank
142nd
of 194 countries
All-time high
8,000 people
in 1996
All-time low
4,000 people
in 1977
Years of data
30
1971–2000

Military personnel in Bhutan, 1971–2000

02.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1971198520001971: 5.0k people1972: 5.0k people1973: 5.0k people1974: 5.0k people1975: 5.0k people1976: 5.0k people1977: 4.0k people1978: 4.0k people1979: 4.0k people1980: 4.0k people1981: 4.0k people1982: 4.0k people1983: 4.0k people1984: 4.0k people1985: 4.0k people1986: 4.0k people1987: 4.0k people1988: 5.0k people1989: 4.0k people1990: 5.0k people1991: 5.0k people1992: 5.0k people1993: 5.0k people1994: 5.0k people1995: 5.0k people1996: 8.0k people1997: 8.0k people1998: 8.0k people1999: 8.0k people2000: 6.0k people

Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

The most recent figure for military personnel in Bhutan is 6,000 people, measured in 2000.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.0% on the previous year and up 20.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel in Bhutan peaked at 8,000 people in 1996 and was at its lowest, 4,000 people, in 1977.

That places Bhutan 142nd out of 194 countries with data for 2000, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 4,667 people 4,000 people 5,000 people 9
1980s 4,100 people 4,000 people 5,000 people 10
1990s 6,200 people 5,000 people 8,000 people 10
2000s 6,000 people 6,000 people 6,000 people 1

Countries ranked near Bhutan

  1. 142 Jamaica 6,000 people compare
  2. 142 Slovenia 6,000 people compare
  3. 145 Gabon 5,000 people compare
  4. 145 Moldova 5,000 people compare
  5. 145 Trinidad and Tobago 5,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for Bhutan

All data for Bhutan →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel in Bhutan?
Military personnel in Bhutan was 6,000 people in 2000, 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 Bhutan?
The highest recorded value was 8,000 people in 1996.
What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Bhutan?
The lowest recorded value was 4,000 people in 1977.
How does Bhutan rank for military personnel?
Bhutan ranks 142nd out of 194 countries with data for 2000.
Is military personnel rising or falling in Bhutan?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bhutan 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 — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Military personnel
Unit
people
Source
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed

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.