Military personnel in Taiwan
Taiwan: Military personnel was 169,000 people in 2022. ▼ Falling
Military personnel in Taiwan, 1949–2022
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 Taiwan stood at 169,000 people.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 41.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Taiwan peaked at 1.50 million people in 1949 and was at its lowest, 163,000 people, in 2019.
Taiwan ranks 29th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 74 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940s | 1.50 million people | 1.50 million people | 1.50 million people | 1 |
| 1950s | 545,500 people | 300,000 people | 630,000 people | 10 |
| 1960s | 559,200 people | 524,000 people | 600,000 people | 10 |
| 1970s | 498,600 people | 460,000 people | 550,000 people | 10 |
| 1980s | 443,500 people | 406,000 people | 484,000 people | 10 |
| 1990s | 393,200 people | 360,000 people | 442,000 people | 10 |
| 2000s | 314,000 people | 290,000 people | 370,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 254,800 people | 163,000 people | 290,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 167,000 people | 163,000 people | 169,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Taiwan
More reference data data for Taiwan
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 1 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Elite Consultations Score 1.63 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Taiwan?
- Military personnel in Taiwan 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 Taiwan?
- The highest recorded value was 1.50 million people in 1949.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Taiwan?
- The lowest recorded value was 163,000 people in 2019.
- How does Taiwan rank for military personnel?
- Taiwan ranks 29th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Taiwan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Taiwan 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 — 74 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.