Military personnel in Croatia
Croatia: Military personnel was 17,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in Croatia, 1992–2022
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 Croatia is 17,000 people, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Croatia peaked at 201,000 people in 2005 and was at its lowest, 15,000 people, in 2019.
Croatia ranks 103rd of 194 countries on this measure, 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 Croatia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 103,000 people | — |
| 1993 | 80,000 people | -22.3% |
| 1994 | 70,000 people | -12.5% |
| 1995 | 60,000 people | -14.3% |
| 1996 | 58,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1997 | 58,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 58,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 60,000 people | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 61,000 people | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 58,000 people | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 51,000 people | -12.1% |
| 2003 | 21,000 people | -58.8% |
| 2004 | 111,000 people | +428.6% |
| 2005 | 201,000 people | +81.1% |
| 2006 | 21,000 people | -89.6% |
| 2007 | 21,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 18,000 people | -14.3% |
| 2009 | 19,000 people | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 19,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 19,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 19,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 19,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 17,000 people | -10.5% |
| 2015 | 17,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 17,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 16,000 people | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 15,000 people | -6.2% |
| 2020 | 15,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 17,000 people | +13.3% |
| 2022 | 17,000 people | +0.0% |
Croatia compared with similar countries
- Croatia's 17,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 18,500 people, 92% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Croatia's 17,000 people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 23,000 people, 74% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military personnel in Croatia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +428.6% | 21,000 people | 111,000 people |
| 2006 | -89.6% | 201,000 people | 21,000 people |
| 2005 | +81.1% | 111,000 people | 201,000 people |
| 2003 | -58.8% | 51,000 people | 21,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 68,375 people | 58,000 people | 103,000 people | 8 |
| 2000s | 58,200 people | 18,000 people | 201,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 17,400 people | 15,000 people | 19,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,333 people | 15,000 people | 17,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Croatia
More reference data data for Croatia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2598 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1516 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1326 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.8711 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.5399 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.6476 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.13 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7218 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Croatia?
- Military personnel in Croatia was 17,000 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 Croatia?
- The highest recorded value was 201,000 people in 2005.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Croatia?
- The lowest recorded value was 15,000 people in 2019.
- How does Croatia rank for military personnel?
- Croatia ranks 103rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Croatia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Croatia 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 — 31 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.