Military personnel in Ukraine
Ukraine: Military personnel was 688,000 people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Military personnel in Ukraine, 1992–2022
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 Ukraine is 688,000 people, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 251.0% on the previous year and up 429.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in Ukraine peaked at 688,000 people in 2022 and was at its lowest, 122,000 people, in 2015.
That places Ukraine 6th 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 Ukraine, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 438,000 people | — |
| 1993 | 510,000 people | +16.4% |
| 1994 | 495,000 people | -2.9% |
| 1995 | 476,000 people | -3.8% |
| 1996 | 476,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 450,000 people | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 365,000 people | -18.9% |
| 1999 | 340,000 people | -6.8% |
| 2000 | 304,000 people | -10.6% |
| 2001 | 304,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 302,000 people | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 296,000 people | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 242,000 people | -18.2% |
| 2005 | 188,000 people | -22.3% |
| 2006 | 188,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 188,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 130,000 people | -30.9% |
| 2009 | 130,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 130,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 130,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 130,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 130,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 130,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 122,000 people | -6.2% |
| 2016 | 204,000 people | +67.2% |
| 2017 | 204,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 204,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 209,000 people | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 209,000 people | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 196,000 people | -6.2% |
| 2022 | 688,000 people | +251.0% |
Ukraine compared with similar countries
- Ukraine's 688,000 people is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 23,000 people, 29.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Ukraine's 688,000 people is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 23,000 people, 29.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military personnel in Ukraine 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +251.0% | 196,000 people | 688,000 people |
| 2016 | +67.2% | 122,000 people | 204,000 people |
| 2008 | -30.9% | 188,000 people | 130,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 443,750 people | 340,000 people | 510,000 people | 8 |
| 2000s | 227,200 people | 130,000 people | 304,000 people | 10 |
| 2010s | 159,300 people | 122,000 people | 209,000 people | 10 |
| 2020s | 364,333 people | 196,000 people | 688,000 people | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ukraine
- 3 United States 1.36 million people compare
- 4 North Korea 1.28 million people compare
- 5 Russia 1.19 million people compare
- 7 Pakistan 652,000 people compare
- 8 Iran 610,000 people compare
- 9 South Korea 555,000 people compare
More reference data data for Ukraine
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.8321 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 8.98 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 9.11 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 5.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.97 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 43.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 10.47 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in Ukraine?
- Military personnel in Ukraine was 688,000 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 Ukraine?
- The highest recorded value was 688,000 people in 2022.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in Ukraine?
- The lowest recorded value was 122,000 people in 2015.
- How does Ukraine rank for military personnel?
- Ukraine ranks 6th out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in Ukraine?
- Over the last ten years it is up 429.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ukraine 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 — 31 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.