Military personnel in Italy
Italy: Military personnel was 161,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in Italy, 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
In 2022, military personnel in Italy stood at 161,000 people.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Italy peaked at 3.75 million people in 1942 and was at its lowest, 19,000 people, in 1816.
That places Italy 32nd 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 | 34,000 people | 19,000 people | 39,000 people | 4 |
| 1820s | 32,900 people | 19,000 people | 56,000 people | 10 |
| 1830s | 34,200 people | 31,000 people | 38,000 people | 10 |
| 1840s | 39,600 people | 28,000 people | 70,000 people | 10 |
| 1850s | 51,300 people | 41,000 people | 55,000 people | 10 |
| 1860s | 254,400 people | 184,000 people | 394,000 people | 10 |
| 1870s | 189,700 people | 152,000 people | 353,000 people | 10 |
| 1880s | 205,800 people | 162,000 people | 256,000 people | 10 |
| 1890s | 256,100 people | 226,000 people | 318,000 people | 10 |
| 1900s | 256,300 people | 219,000 people | 276,000 people | 10 |
| 1910s | 1.62 million people | 252,000 people | 3.16 million people | 10 |
| 1920s | 367,800 people | 290,000 people | 840,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 498,200 people | 314,000 people | 1.38 million people | 10 |
| 1940s | 980,556 people | 260,000 people | 3.75 million people | 9 |
| 1950s | 312,600 people | 235,000 people | 330,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 455,600 people | 321,000 people | 590,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 483,000 people | 435,000 people | 548,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 507,700 people | 498,000 people | 529,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 440,100 people | 391,000 people | 493,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 214,600 people | 186,000 people | 293,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 189,200 people | 171,000 people | 293,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 163,000 people | 161,000 people | 166,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Italy
- 29 Syria 169,000 people compare
- 29 Taiwan 169,000 people compare
- 31 Bangladesh 163,000 people compare
- 33 United Kingdom 150,000 people compare
- 34 Philippines 145,000 people compare
- 35 Nigeria 143,000 people compare
More reference data data for Italy
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.4267 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 2.76 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.5909 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.896 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.7 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 131.87 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 Italy?
- Military personnel in Italy was 161,000 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 Italy?
- The highest recorded value was 3.75 million people in 1942.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Italy?
- The lowest recorded value was 19,000 people in 1816.
- How does Italy rank for military personnel?
- Italy ranks 32nd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Italy?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Italy 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 — 206 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.