Military personnel in Canada
Canada: Military personnel was 67,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
67,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
55th
of 194 countries
All-time high
801,000 people
in 1945
All-time low
4,000 people
in 1920
Years of data
103
1920–2022
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.
Military personnel in Canada, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1920 | 4,000 people | — |
| 1921 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1924 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1926 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1927 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1928 | 5,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1929 | 4,000 people | -20.0% |
| 1930 | 5,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1931 | 6,000 people | +20.0% |
| 1932 | 5,000 people | -16.7% |
| 1933 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 4,000 people | -20.0% |
| 1936 | 6,000 people | +50.0% |
| 1937 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 21,000 people | +250.0% |
| 1941 | 280,000 people | +1233.3% |
| 1942 | 400,000 people | +42.9% |
| 1943 | 740,000 people | +85.0% |
| 1944 | 728,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1945 | 801,000 people | +10.0% |
| 1946 | 46,000 people | -94.3% |
| 1947 | 43,000 people | -6.5% |
| 1948 | 40,000 people | -7.0% |
| 1949 | 47,000 people | +17.5% |
| 1950 | 45,000 people | -4.3% |
| 1951 | 62,000 people | +37.8% |
| 1952 | 102,000 people | +64.5% |
| 1953 | 104,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1954 | 108,000 people | +3.8% |
| 1955 | 112,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1956 | 116,000 people | +3.6% |
| 1957 | 121,000 people | +4.3% |
| 1958 | 119,000 people | -1.7% |
| 1959 | 120,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1960 | 121,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1961 | 124,000 people | +2.5% |
| 1962 | 124,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 120,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1964 | 120,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1965 | 120,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 110,000 people | -8.3% |
| 1967 | 105,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1968 | 105,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 100,000 people | -4.8% |
| 1970 | 95,000 people | -5.0% |
| 1971 | 85,000 people | -10.5% |
| 1972 | 90,000 people | +5.9% |
| 1973 | 82,000 people | -8.9% |
| 1974 | 82,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 78,000 people | -4.9% |
| 1976 | 78,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 78,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 79,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 79,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 82,000 people | +3.8% |
| 1981 | 81,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1982 | 81,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 81,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 82,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1985 | 83,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1986 | 85,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1987 | 86,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1988 | 88,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 88,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 87,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1991 | 86,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 82,000 people | -4.7% |
| 1993 | 76,000 people | -7.3% |
| 1994 | 75,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 70,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1996 | 66,000 people | -5.7% |
| 1997 | 61,000 people | -7.6% |
| 1998 | 60,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 60,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 59,000 people | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 57,000 people | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 52,000 people | -8.8% |
| 2003 | 52,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 57,000 people | +9.6% |
| 2005 | 62,000 people | +8.8% |
| 2006 | 62,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 63,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 64,000 people | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 64,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 66,000 people | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 66,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 66,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 66,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 66,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 66,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 66,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 63,000 people | -4.5% |
| 2018 | 63,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 67,000 people | +6.3% |
| 2020 | 67,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 67,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 67,000 people | +0.0% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 67,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 18,500 people, 3.6× the median. (64 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military personnel in Canada changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1941 | +1233.3% | 21,000 people | 280,000 people |
| 1940 | +250.0% | 6,000 people | 21,000 people |
| 1946 | -94.3% | 801,000 people | 46,000 people |
| 1943 | +85.0% | 400,000 people | 740,000 people |
| 1952 | +64.5% | 62,000 people | 102,000 people |
| 1936 | +50.0% | 4,000 people | 6,000 people |
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
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.05 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 20.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 6.86 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 22.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 99.83 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.88 (2050)
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.