Military personnel in Russia

Russia: Military personnel was 1.19 million people in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
1.19 million people
Change on year
up 32.2%
World rank
5th
of 194 countries
All-time high
12.50 million people
in 1945
All-time low
526,000 people
in 1848
Years of data
206
1816–2022

Military personnel in Russia, 1816–2022

02.5M5.0M7.5M10.0M12.5M181619192022

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 Russia stood at 1.19 million people.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 32.2% on the previous year and up 24.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel in Russia peaked at 12.50 million people in 1945 and was at its lowest, 526,000 people, in 1848.

That places Russia 5th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1810s 674,000 people 596,000 people 800,000 people 4
1820s 797,800 people 578,000 people 1.03 million people 10
1830s 763,500 people 567,000 people 1.02 million people 10
1840s 699,700 people 526,000 people 803,000 people 10
1850s 1.03 million people 560,000 people 2.00 million people 10
1860s 778,600 people 628,000 people 1.14 million people 10
1870s 857,500 people 738,000 people 1.21 million people 10
1880s 853,400 people 803,000 people 909,000 people 10
1890s 907,200 people 844,000 people 938,000 people 10
1900s 1.34 million people 1.14 million people 2.37 million people 10
1910s 3.76 million people 1.29 million people 10.90 million people 9
1920s 1.76 million people 562,000 people 5.50 million people 10
1930s 1.09 million people 562,000 people 1.79 million people 10
1940s 4.88 million people 2.50 million people 12.50 million people 10
1950s 4.96 million people 3.60 million people 5.80 million people 10
1960s 3.46 million people 2.78 million people 4.20 million people 10
1970s 4.03 million people 3.90 million people 4.30 million people 10
1980s 3.88 million people 3.70 million people 3.90 million people 10
1990s 1.71 million people 900,000 people 3.40 million people 10
2000s 1.01 million people 961,000 people 1.04 million people 10
2010s 891,900 people 771,000 people 1.05 million people 10
2020s 996,667 people 900,000 people 1.19 million people 3

Countries ranked near Russia

  1. 2 India 1.46 million people compare
  2. 3 United States 1.36 million people compare
  3. 4 North Korea 1.28 million people compare
  4. 6 Ukraine 688,000 people compare
  5. 7 Pakistan 652,000 people compare
  6. 8 Iran 610,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for Russia

All data for Russia →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel in Russia?
Military personnel in Russia was 1.19 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 Russia?
The highest recorded value was 12.50 million people in 1945.
What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Russia?
The lowest recorded value was 526,000 people in 1848.
How does Russia rank for military personnel?
Russia ranks 5th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is military personnel rising or falling in Russia?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Russia 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

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.