Military personnel in Malaysia
Malaysia: Military personnel was 113,000 people in 2022. ▲ Rising
Military personnel in Malaysia, 1957–2022
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 Malaysia stood at 113,000 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Malaysia peaked at 130,000 people in 1990 and was at its lowest, 14,000 people, in 1963.
That places Malaysia 43rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 66 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 19,333 people | 18,000 people | 20,000 people | 3 |
| 1960s | 36,000 people | 14,000 people | 46,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 73,300 people | 58,000 people | 82,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 105,600 people | 83,000 people | 125,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 118,100 people | 95,000 people | 130,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 105,400 people | 96,000 people | 110,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 109,400 people | 109,000 people | 113,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 113,000 people | 113,000 people | 113,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More reference data data for Malaysia
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.3171 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.4881 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0702 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2047 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.4538 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 134.6 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 Malaysia?
- Military personnel in Malaysia was 113,000 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 Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 130,000 people in 1990.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 14,000 people in 1963.
- How does Malaysia rank for military personnel?
- Malaysia ranks 43rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia 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 — 66 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.