Military personnel in India
India: Military personnel was 1.46 million people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Military personnel in India, 1947–2022
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 India is 1.46 million people, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of up 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in India peaked at 1.67 million people in 1975 and was at its lowest, 311,000 people, in 1947.
India ranks 2nd of 194 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 76 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 321,000 people | 311,000 people | 331,000 people | 3 |
| 1950s | 406,600 people | 341,000 people | 535,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 1.14 million people | 535,000 people | 1.51 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 1.49 million people | 1.27 million people | 1.67 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 1.20 million people | 1.10 million people | 1.36 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.27 million people | 1.26 million people | 1.30 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.30 million people | 1.26 million people | 1.32 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.36 million people | 1.32 million people | 1.45 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.46 million people | 1.46 million people | 1.46 million people | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
- 1 China 2.04 million people compare
- 3 United States 1.36 million people compare
- 4 North Korea 1.28 million people compare
- 5 Russia 1.19 million people compare
More reference data data for India
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.8635 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.6189 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0088 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3046 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2053 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 233.06 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 India?
- Military personnel in India was 1.46 million 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 1.67 million people in 1975.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 311,000 people in 1947.
- How does India rank for military personnel?
- India ranks 2nd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this India 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.
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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.