Military personnel in Canada
Canada: Military personnel was 67,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in Canada, 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
In 2022, military personnel in Canada stood at 67,000 people.
That represents a change of up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Canada peaked at 801,000 people in 1945 and was at its lowest, 4,000 people, in 1920.
That places Canada 55th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
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 | 4,100 people | 4,000 people | 5,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 5,400 people | 4,000 people | 6,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 314,600 people | 21,000 people | 801,000 people | 10 |
| 1950s | 100,900 people | 45,000 people | 121,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 114,900 people | 100,000 people | 124,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 82,600 people | 78,000 people | 95,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 83,700 people | 81,000 people | 88,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 72,300 people | 60,000 people | 87,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 59,200 people | 52,000 people | 64,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 65,500 people | 63,000 people | 67,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 67,000 people | 67,000 people | 67,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More reference data data for Canada
- Spring temperature anomalies -4.58 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.7 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 2.12 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 2.47 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -2.57 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 140.97 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Canada?
- Military personnel in Canada was 67,000 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 801,000 people in 1945.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,000 people in 1920.
- How does Canada rank for military personnel?
- Canada ranks 55th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Canada 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 — 103 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.