Military personnel in Syria
Syria: Military personnel was 169,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in Syria, 1946–2022
Source: Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
Syria recorded 169,000 people for military personnel in 2022.
The figure is down 42.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Syria peaked at 408,000 people in 1990 and was at its lowest, 8,000 people, in 1948.
That places Syria 29th 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 12,000 people | 8,000 people | 20,000 people | 4 |
| 1950s | 36,778 people | 25,000 people | 62,000 people | 9 |
| 1960s | 70,111 people | 52,000 people | 80,000 people | 9 |
| 1970s | 170,500 people | 75,000 people | 250,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 362,400 people | 250,000 people | 402,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 353,700 people | 310,000 people | 408,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 309,800 people | 293,000 people | 321,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 200,500 people | 128,000 people | 325,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 169,000 people | 169,000 people | 169,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Syria
More reference data data for Syria
- Spring temperature anomalies -1.58 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.329 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.3623 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2737 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.14 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 614.95 2010 = 100 (2019)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Syria?
- Military personnel in Syria was 169,000 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 Syria?
- The highest recorded value was 408,000 people in 1990.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Syria?
- The lowest recorded value was 8,000 people in 1948.
- How does Syria rank for military personnel?
- Syria ranks 29th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Syria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Syria 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.