Military personnel in Cuba

Cuba: Military personnel was 49,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
49,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
62nd
of 194 countries
All-time high
297,000 people
in 1984
All-time low
3,000 people
in 1902
Years of data
119
1902–2022

Military personnel in Cuba, 1902–2022

0100.0k200.0k300.0k190219622022

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 Cuba is 49,000 people, measured in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel in Cuba peaked at 297,000 people in 1984 and was at its lowest, 3,000 people, in 1902.

Cuba ranks 62nd 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1900s 3,833 people 3,000 people 5,000 people 6
1910s 12,800 people 5,000 people 19,000 people 10
1920s 13,700 people 12,000 people 18,000 people 10
1930s 15,400 people 13,000 people 19,000 people 10
1940s 19,200 people 18,000 people 21,000 people 10
1950s 18,500 people 13,000 people 21,000 people 10
1960s 135,600 people 46,000 people 270,000 people 10
1970s 156,500 people 120,000 people 210,000 people 10
1980s 270,700 people 220,000 people 297,000 people 10
1990s 138,400 people 50,000 people 297,000 people 10
2000s 48,900 people 46,000 people 58,000 people 10
2010s 49,000 people 49,000 people 49,000 people 10
2020s 49,000 people 49,000 people 49,000 people 3

Countries ranked near Cuba

  1. 59 Dominican Republic 56,000 people compare
  2. 60 South Sudan 53,000 people compare
  3. 61 Singapore 51,000 people compare
  4. 63 Belarus 48,000 people compare
  5. 63 Uzbekistan 48,000 people compare
  6. 65 Uganda 45,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for Cuba

All data for Cuba →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel in Cuba?
Military personnel in Cuba was 49,000 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 Cuba?
The highest recorded value was 297,000 people in 1984.
What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Cuba?
The lowest recorded value was 3,000 people in 1902.
How does Cuba rank for military personnel?
Cuba ranks 62nd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is military personnel rising or falling in Cuba?
Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Cuba 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 — 119 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.