What is military personnel in Spain?

Military personnel in Spain was 124,000 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 Spain?

The highest recorded value was 550,000 people in 1938.

What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Spain?

The lowest recorded value was 60,000 people in 1833.

How does Spain rank for military personnel?

Spain ranks 39th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.

Is military personnel rising or falling in Spain?

Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.

Where does this Spain 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.

Military personnel in Spain

Name: Military personnel in Spain
Creator: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Spain: Military personnel was 124,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)

124,000 people

Change on year

up 0.8%

World rank

39th

of 194 countries

All-time high

550,000 people

in 1938

All-time low

60,000 people

in 1833

Years of data

207

1816–2022

Military personnel in Spain, 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

Spain recorded 124,000 people for military personnel in 2022.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, military personnel in Spain peaked at 550,000 people in 1938 and was at its lowest, 60,000 people, in 1833.

That places Spain 39th 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	126,000 people	125,000 people	127,000 people	4
1820s	113,100 people	87,000 people	165,000 people	10
1830s	92,000 people	60,000 people	130,000 people	10
1840s	105,700 people	79,000 people	121,000 people	10
1850s	111,200 people	92,000 people	124,000 people	10
1860s	113,200 people	98,000 people	125,000 people	10
1870s	114,400 people	97,000 people	154,000 people	10
1880s	155,700 people	146,000 people	176,000 people	10
1890s	141,400 people	131,000 people	154,000 people	10
1900s	114,100 people	111,000 people	132,000 people	10
1910s	173,400 people	137,000 people	224,000 people	10
1920s	173,300 people	128,000 people	236,000 people	10
1930s	289,500 people	134,000 people	550,000 people	10
1940s	485,200 people	444,000 people	531,000 people	10
1950s	481,400 people	398,000 people	528,000 people	10
1960s	364,600 people	340,000 people	375,000 people	10
1970s	369,700 people	365,000 people	375,000 people	10
1980s	331,400 people	277,000 people	372,000 people	10
1990s	207,800 people	155,000 people	263,000 people	10
2000s	160,000 people	144,000 people	222,000 people	10
2010s	130,300 people	120,000 people	143,000 people	10
2020s	122,333 people	120,000 people	124,000 people	3

Countries ranked near Spain

36 Algeria 139,000 people compare
37 Democratic Republic of Congo 134,000 people compare
38 Greece 132,000 people compare
39 Cambodia 124,000 people compare
41 Venezuela 123,000 people compare
42 Poland 114,000 people compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for Spain

Spring temperature anomalies -0.1449 °C (2026)
Summer temperature anomalies 3.07 °C (2026)
Temperature anomalies by month 0.0798 °C (2026)
Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
Autumn temperature anomalies 0.423 °C (2025)
Winter temperature anomalies 0.3641 °C (2025)
Consumer price index 135.02 2010 = 100 (2025)
Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
Competitive elections 1 (2025)
Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is military personnel in Spain?: Military personnel in Spain was 124,000 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 Spain?: The highest recorded value was 550,000 people in 1938.
What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Spain?: The lowest recorded value was 60,000 people in 1833.
How does Spain rank for military personnel?: Spain ranks 39th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
Is military personnel rising or falling in Spain?: Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Spain 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 — 207 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: 07 August 2026

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.