Military personnel in Guatemala

Guatemala: Military personnel was 18,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
18,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
100th
of 194 countries
All-time high
44,000 people
in 1992
All-time low
2,000 people
in 1881
Years of data
150
1868–2022

Military personnel in Guatemala, 1868–2022

010.0k20.0k30.0k40.0k186819452022

Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.

Analysis

In 2022, military personnel in Guatemala stood at 18,000 people.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel in Guatemala peaked at 44,000 people in 1992 and was at its lowest, 2,000 people, in 1881.

Guatemala ranks 100th 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
1860s 3,000 people 3,000 people 3,000 people 2
1870s 3,000 people 3,000 people 3,000 people 10
1880s 3,600 people 2,000 people 13,000 people 10
1890s 3,600 people 3,000 people 6,000 people 10
1900s 7,000 people 7,000 people 7,000 people 10
1910s 7,100 people 7,000 people 8,000 people 10
1920s 7,700 people 7,000 people 8,000 people 10
1930s 6,400 people 6,000 people 7,000 people 10
1940s 21,400 people 20,000 people 22,000 people 5
1950s 10,400 people 7,000 people 22,000 people 10
1960s 9,100 people 7,000 people 11,000 people 10
1970s 14,200 people 13,000 people 21,000 people 10
1980s 37,300 people 21,000 people 43,000 people 10
1990s 37,000 people 30,000 people 44,000 people 10
2000s 26,000 people 16,000 people 31,000 people 10
2010s 16,800 people 15,000 people 18,000 people 10
2020s 18,000 people 18,000 people 18,000 people 3

Countries ranked near Guatemala

  1. 98 Switzerland 20,000 people compare
  2. 99 Finland 19,000 people compare
  3. 100 Kuwait 18,000 people compare
  4. 100 Slovakia 18,000 people compare
  5. 103 Croatia 17,000 people compare
  6. 103 Qatar 17,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for Guatemala

All data for Guatemala →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel in Guatemala?
Military personnel in Guatemala was 18,000 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 Guatemala?
The highest recorded value was 44,000 people in 1992.
What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Guatemala?
The lowest recorded value was 2,000 people in 1881.
How does Guatemala rank for military personnel?
Guatemala ranks 100th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is military personnel rising or falling in Guatemala?
Over the last ten years it is up 20.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Guatemala 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 — 150 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.