Military personnel in Myanmar
Myanmar: Military personnel was 356,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
356,000 people
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
16th
of 194 countries
All-time high
488,000 people
in 2003
All-time low
3,000 people
in 1948
Years of data
75
1948–2022
Military personnel in Myanmar, 1948–2022
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 Myanmar is 356,000 people, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Myanmar peaked at 488,000 people in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3,000 people, in 1948.
That places Myanmar 16th out of 194 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Military personnel in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1948 | 3,000 people | — |
| 1949 | 4,000 people | +33.3% |
| 1950 | 6,000 people | +50.0% |
| 1951 | 8,000 people | +33.3% |
| 1952 | 10,000 people | +25.0% |
| 1953 | 14,000 people | +40.0% |
| 1954 | 19,000 people | +35.7% |
| 1955 | 25,000 people | +31.6% |
| 1956 | 33,000 people | +32.0% |
| 1957 | 44,000 people | +33.3% |
| 1958 | 56,000 people | +27.3% |
| 1959 | 67,000 people | +19.6% |
| 1960 | 79,000 people | +17.9% |
| 1961 | 90,000 people | +13.9% |
| 1962 | 100,000 people | +11.1% |
| 1963 | 105,000 people | +5.0% |
| 1964 | 123,000 people | +17.1% |
| 1965 | 133,000 people | +8.1% |
| 1966 | 135,000 people | +1.5% |
| 1967 | 136,000 people | +0.7% |
| 1968 | 136,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1969 | 173,000 people | +27.2% |
| 1970 | 174,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1971 | 175,000 people | +0.6% |
| 1972 | 191,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1973 | 198,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1974 | 202,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1975 | 209,000 people | +3.5% |
| 1976 | 210,000 people | +0.5% |
| 1977 | 208,000 people | -1.0% |
| 1978 | 212,000 people | +1.9% |
| 1979 | 212,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 179,000 people | -15.6% |
| 1981 | 210,000 people | +17.3% |
| 1982 | 210,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 179,000 people | -14.8% |
| 1984 | 181,000 people | +1.1% |
| 1985 | 186,000 people | +2.8% |
| 1986 | 186,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 186,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 186,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 200,000 people | +7.5% |
| 1990 | 230,000 people | +15.0% |
| 1991 | 286,000 people | +24.3% |
| 1992 | 286,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 322,000 people | +12.6% |
| 1994 | 322,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 322,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 322,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 322,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 322,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 345,000 people | +7.1% |
| 2000 | 344,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 344,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 444,000 people | +29.1% |
| 2003 | 488,000 people | +9.9% |
| 2004 | 458,000 people | -6.1% |
| 2005 | 428,000 people | -6.6% |
| 2006 | 376,000 people | -12.1% |
| 2007 | 375,000 people | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 406,000 people | +8.3% |
| 2009 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 406,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 356,000 people | -12.3% |
| 2022 | 356,000 people | +0.0% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 356,000 people is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 15,500 people, 23.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 356,000 people is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 9,500 people, 37.5× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military personnel in Myanmar changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | +50.0% | 4,000 people | 6,000 people |
| 1953 | +40.0% | 10,000 people | 14,000 people |
| 1954 | +35.7% | 14,000 people | 19,000 people |
| 1949 | +33.3% | 3,000 people | 4,000 people |
| 1951 | +33.3% | 6,000 people | 8,000 people |
| 1957 | +33.3% | 33,000 people | 44,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 3,500 people | 3,000 people | 4,000 people | 2 |
| 1950s | 28,200 people | 6,000 people | 67,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 121,000 people | 79,000 people | 173,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 199,100 people | 174,000 people | 212,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 190,300 people | 179,000 people | 210,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 307,900 people | 230,000 people | 345,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 406,900 people | 344,000 people | 488,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 406,000 people | 406,000 people | 406,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 372,667 people | 356,000 people | 406,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
More reference data data for Myanmar
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.28 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.58 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 11.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.53 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 11.17 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 11.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 19.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 25.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 73.24 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 13.8 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Myanmar?
- Military personnel in Myanmar was 356,000 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 488,000 people in 2003.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,000 people in 1948.
- How does Myanmar rank for military personnel?
- Myanmar ranks 16th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Myanmar 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 — 75 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.