Military personnel in France
France: Military personnel was 203,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in France, 1816–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
France recorded 203,000 people for military personnel in 2022.
The figure is down 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in France peaked at 5.28 million people in 1918 and was at its lowest, 131,000 people, in 1817.
That places France 24th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 145,750 people | 131,000 people | 182,000 people | 4 |
| 1820s | 236,700 people | 198,000 people | 265,000 people | 10 |
| 1830s | 300,300 people | 259,000 people | 373,000 people | 10 |
| 1840s | 411,600 people | 357,000 people | 483,000 people | 10 |
| 1850s | 481,200 people | 397,000 people | 645,000 people | 10 |
| 1860s | 499,100 people | 458,000 people | 608,000 people | 10 |
| 1870s | 552,000 people | 452,000 people | 1.00 million people | 10 |
| 1880s | 548,400 people | 516,000 people | 589,000 people | 10 |
| 1890s | 613,700 people | 586,000 people | 654,000 people | 10 |
| 1900s | 618,400 people | 596,000 people | 641,000 people | 10 |
| 1910s | 2.64 million people | 632,000 people | 5.28 million people | 10 |
| 1920s | 585,900 people | 411,000 people | 1.46 million people | 10 |
| 1930s | 509,200 people | 411,000 people | 613,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 1.11 million people | 373,000 people | 5.00 million people | 8 |
| 1950s | 783,800 people | 595,000 people | 992,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 677,500 people | 570,000 people | 1.02 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 577,400 people | 560,000 people | 585,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 567,300 people | 558,000 people | 578,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 501,200 people | 421,000 people | 554,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 271,700 people | 255,000 people | 353,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 231,600 people | 203,000 people | 353,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 203,333 people | 203,000 people | 204,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near France
More reference data data for France
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.5862 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 3.31 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.1356 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.3048 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.2 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 127.7 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 France?
- Military personnel in France was 203,000 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 5.28 million people in 1918.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 131,000 people in 1817.
- How does France rank for military personnel?
- France ranks 24th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this France 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 — 205 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.