Military personnel in Germany
Germany: Military personnel was 183,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in Germany, 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
The most recent figure for military personnel in Germany is 183,000 people, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of down 27.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Germany peaked at 8.00 million people in 1918 and was at its lowest, 114,000 people, in 1919.
Germany ranks 27th of 194 countries on this measure, 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 | 130,000 people | 130,000 people | 130,000 people | 4 |
| 1820s | 130,000 people | 130,000 people | 130,000 people | 10 |
| 1830s | 136,200 people | 130,000 people | 165,000 people | 10 |
| 1840s | 134,500 people | 131,000 people | 135,000 people | 10 |
| 1850s | 141,300 people | 131,000 people | 153,000 people | 10 |
| 1860s | 232,900 people | 201,000 people | 318,000 people | 10 |
| 1870s | 474,600 people | 319,000 people | 1.00 million people | 10 |
| 1880s | 468,500 people | 430,000 people | 504,000 people | 10 |
| 1890s | 579,000 people | 505,000 people | 619,000 people | 10 |
| 1900s | 645,900 people | 624,000 people | 667,000 people | 10 |
| 1910s | 2.57 million people | 114,000 people | 8.00 million people | 10 |
| 1920s | 114,000 people | 114,000 people | 114,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 596,700 people | 114,000 people | 2.75 million people | 10 |
| 1940s | 5.97 million people | 3.30 million people | 7.10 million people | 6 |
| 1990s | 389,400 people | 331,000 people | 545,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 269,900 people | 221,000 people | 308,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 203,200 people | 177,000 people | 251,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 182,333 people | 181,000 people | 183,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More reference data data for Germany
- Spring temperature anomalies 1.53 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 3.04 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -1.82 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.6168 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.25 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 137.8 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 Germany?
- Military personnel in Germany was 183,000 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 8.00 million people in 1918.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 114,000 people in 1919.
- How does Germany rank for military personnel?
- Germany ranks 27th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Germany 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 — 163 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.