Military personnel in Estonia
Estonia: Military personnel was 7,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
7,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
137th
of 194 countries
All-time high
21,000 people
in 1923
All-time low
3,000 people
in 1992
Years of data
54
1918–2022
Military personnel in Estonia, 1918–2022
Source: Correlates of War – National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Estonia recorded 7,000 people for military personnel in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Estonia peaked at 21,000 people in 1923 and was at its lowest, 3,000 people, in 1992.
That places Estonia 137th 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 Estonia, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1918 | 16,000 people | — |
| 1919 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1920 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1921 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1922 | 16,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1923 | 21,000 people | +31.2% |
| 1924 | 21,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1925 | 19,000 people | -9.5% |
| 1926 | 18,000 people | -5.3% |
| 1927 | 19,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1928 | 16,000 people | -15.8% |
| 1929 | 15,000 people | -6.2% |
| 1930 | 14,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1931 | 14,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1932 | 12,000 people | -14.3% |
| 1933 | 12,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1934 | 12,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1935 | 12,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1936 | 12,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1937 | 12,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1938 | 12,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1939 | 15,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1940 | 18,000 people | +20.0% |
| 1992 | 3,000 people | -83.3% |
| 1993 | 5,000 people | +66.7% |
| 1994 | 4,000 people | -20.0% |
| 1995 | 6,000 people | +50.0% |
| 1996 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 7,000 people | +16.7% |
| 1998 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5,000 people | -28.6% |
| 2001 | 4,000 people | -20.0% |
| 2002 | 6,000 people | +50.0% |
| 2003 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5,000 people | -16.7% |
| 2005 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4,000 people | -20.0% |
| 2008 | 4,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5,000 people | +25.0% |
| 2010 | 5,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6,000 people | +20.0% |
| 2012 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 7,000 people | +16.7% |
| 2021 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 7,000 people | +0.0% |
Estonia compared with similar countries
- Estonia's 7,000 people is below the median for high income countries, which is 18,500 people, 38% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Estonia's 7,000 people is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 23,000 people, 30% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1910s | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 16,000 people | 2 |
| 1920s | 17,700 people | 15,000 people | 21,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 12,700 people | 12,000 people | 15,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 18,000 people | 18,000 people | 18,000 people | 1 |
| 1990s | 5,625 people | 3,000 people | 7,000 people | 8 |
| 2000s | 4,900 people | 4,000 people | 6,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,900 people | 5,000 people | 6,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 7,000 people | 7,000 people | 7,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More reference data data for Estonia
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0827 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0328 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.2652 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0363 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.2652 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2774 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.193 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.1743 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.31 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1975 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Estonia?
- Military personnel in Estonia was 7,000 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 Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 21,000 people in 1923.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,000 people in 1992.
- How does Estonia rank for military personnel?
- Estonia ranks 137th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Estonia 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 — 54 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.