Military personnel in France
France: Military personnel was 203,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
203,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
24th
of 194 countries
All-time high
5.28 million people
in 1918
All-time low
131,000 people
in 1817
Years of data
205
1816–2022
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.
Military personnel in France, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1816 | 132,000 people | — |
| 1817 | 131,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1818 | 138,000 people | +5.3% |
| 1819 | 182,000 people | +31.9% |
| 1820 | 208,000 people | +14.3% |
| 1821 | 198,000 people | -4.8% |
| 1822 | 243,000 people | +22.7% |
| 1823 | 256,000 people | +5.3% |
| 1824 | 239,000 people | -6.6% |
| 1825 | 237,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1826 | 237,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1827 | 237,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1828 | 247,000 people | +4.2% |
| 1829 | 265,000 people | +7.3% |
| 1830 | 259,000 people | -2.3% |
| 1831 | 373,000 people | +44.0% |
| 1832 | 311,000 people | -16.6% |
| 1833 | 299,000 people | -3.9% |
| 1834 | 267,000 people | -10.7% |
| 1835 | 289,000 people | +8.2% |
| 1836 | 294,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1837 | 307,000 people | +4.4% |
| 1838 | 304,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1839 | 300,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1840 | 446,000 people | +48.7% |
| 1841 | 483,000 people | +8.3% |
| 1842 | 438,000 people | -9.3% |
| 1843 | 397,000 people | -9.4% |
| 1844 | 361,000 people | -9.1% |
| 1845 | 357,000 people | -1.1% |
| 1846 | 388,000 people | +8.7% |
| 1847 | 394,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1848 | 387,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1849 | 465,000 people | +20.2% |
| 1850 | 439,000 people | -5.6% |
| 1851 | 402,000 people | -8.4% |
| 1852 | 397,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1853 | 424,000 people | +6.8% |
| 1854 | 440,000 people | +3.8% |
| 1855 | 645,000 people | +46.6% |
| 1856 | 645,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1857 | 528,000 people | -18.1% |
| 1858 | 427,000 people | -19.1% |
| 1859 | 465,000 people | +8.9% |
| 1860 | 608,000 people | +30.8% |
| 1861 | 528,000 people | -13.2% |
| 1862 | 520,000 people | -1.5% |
| 1863 | 493,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1864 | 487,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1865 | 479,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1866 | 458,000 people | -4.4% |
| 1867 | 461,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1868 | 483,000 people | +4.8% |
| 1869 | 474,000 people | -1.9% |
| 1870 | 452,000 people | -4.6% |
| 1871 | 1.00 million people | +121.2% |
| 1872 | 483,000 people | -51.7% |
| 1873 | 534,000 people | +10.6% |
| 1874 | 474,000 people | -11.2% |
| 1875 | 485,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1876 | 501,000 people | +3.3% |
| 1877 | 523,000 people | +4.4% |
| 1878 | 543,000 people | +3.8% |
| 1879 | 525,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1880 | 544,000 people | +3.6% |
| 1881 | 578,000 people | +6.2% |
| 1882 | 588,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1883 | 516,000 people | -12.2% |
| 1884 | 526,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1885 | 519,000 people | -1.3% |
| 1886 | 536,000 people | +3.3% |
| 1887 | 519,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1888 | 569,000 people | +9.6% |
| 1889 | 589,000 people | +3.5% |
| 1890 | 596,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1891 | 605,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1892 | 606,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1893 | 610,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1894 | 590,000 people | -3.3% |
| 1895 | 586,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1896 | 613,000 people | +4.6% |
| 1897 | 623,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1898 | 654,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1899 | 654,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1900 | 621,000 people | -5.0% |
| 1901 | 603,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1902 | 610,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1903 | 614,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1904 | 596,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1905 | 626,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1906 | 635,000 people | +1.4% |
| 1907 | 619,000 people | -2.5% |
| 1908 | 619,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1909 | 641,000 people | +3.6% |
| 1910 | 652,000 people | +1.7% |
| 1911 | 638,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1912 | 642,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1913 | 632,000 people | -1.6% |
| 1914 | 789,000 people | +24.8% |
| 1915 | 5.00 million people | +533.3% |
| 1916 | 5.26 million people | +5.3% |
| 1917 | 5.14 million people | -2.3% |
| 1918 | 5.28 million people | +2.6% |
| 1919 | 2.36 million people | -55.2% |
| 1920 | 1.46 million people | -38.4% |
| 1921 | 547,000 people | -62.5% |
| 1922 | 545,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1923 | 511,000 people | -6.2% |
| 1924 | 479,000 people | -6.3% |
| 1925 | 475,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1926 | 471,000 people | -0.8% |
| 1927 | 494,000 people | +4.9% |
| 1928 | 469,000 people | -5.1% |
| 1929 | 411,000 people | -12.4% |
| 1930 | 411,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1931 | 441,000 people | +7.3% |
| 1932 | 422,000 people | -4.3% |
| 1933 | 449,000 people | +6.4% |
| 1934 | 458,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1935 | 548,000 people | +19.7% |
| 1936 | 588,000 people | +7.3% |
| 1937 | 613,000 people | +4.3% |
| 1938 | 581,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1939 | 581,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1940 | 5.00 million people | +760.6% |
| 1941 | 373,000 people | -92.5% |
| 1944 | 579,000 people | +55.2% |
| 1945 | 578,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1946 | 578,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1947 | 580,000 people | +0.3% |
| 1948 | 577,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1949 | 588,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1950 | 595,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1951 | 620,000 people | +4.2% |
| 1952 | 655,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1953 | 699,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1954 | 745,000 people | +6.6% |
| 1955 | 802,000 people | +7.7% |
| 1956 | 856,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1957 | 913,000 people | +6.7% |
| 1958 | 961,000 people | +5.3% |
| 1959 | 992,000 people | +3.2% |
| 1960 | 1.02 million people | +3.3% |
| 1961 | 720,000 people | -29.8% |
| 1962 | 705,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1963 | 735,000 people | +4.3% |
| 1964 | 690,000 people | -6.1% |
| 1965 | 585,000 people | -15.2% |
| 1966 | 580,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1967 | 595,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1968 | 570,000 people | -4.2% |
| 1969 | 570,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 570,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1971 | 565,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1972 | 560,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1973 | 581,000 people | +3.8% |
| 1974 | 585,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1975 | 585,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 585,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 584,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1978 | 581,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1979 | 578,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1980 | 575,000 people | -0.5% |
| 1981 | 575,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 578,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1983 | 578,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 571,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1985 | 563,000 people | -1.4% |
| 1986 | 558,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 559,000 people | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 558,000 people | -0.2% |
| 1989 | 558,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 554,000 people | -0.7% |
| 1991 | 554,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 542,000 people | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 506,000 people | -6.6% |
| 1994 | 506,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 504,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 501,000 people | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 475,000 people | -5.2% |
| 1998 | 449,000 people | -5.5% |
| 1999 | 421,000 people | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 294,000 people | -30.2% |
| 2001 | 274,000 people | -6.8% |
| 2002 | 260,000 people | -5.1% |
| 2003 | 259,000 people | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 257,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 255,000 people | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 255,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 255,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 255,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 353,000 people | +38.4% |
| 2010 | 353,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 239,000 people | -32.3% |
| 2012 | 239,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 229,000 people | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 222,000 people | -3.1% |
| 2015 | 215,000 people | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 209,000 people | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 203,000 people | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 203,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 204,000 people | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 204,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 203,000 people | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 203,000 people | +0.0% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 203,000 people is above the median for high income countries, which is 18,500 people, 11.0× the median. (64 countries reporting)
- France's 203,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 23,000 people, 8.8× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military personnel in France 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | +760.6% | 581,000 people | 5.00 million people |
| 1915 | +533.3% | 789,000 people | 5.00 million people |
| 1871 | +121.2% | 452,000 people | 1.00 million people |
| 1941 | -92.5% | 5.00 million people | 373,000 people |
| 1921 | -62.5% | 1.46 million people | 547,000 people |
| 1919 | -55.2% | 5.28 million people | 2.36 million people |
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
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.48 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.93 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.81 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 22.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 18.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 11.75 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 14.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 106.68 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 15.3 (2050)
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.