Military personnel in United States
United States: Military personnel was 1.36 million people in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2022)
1.36 million people
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
3rd
of 194 countries
All-time high
12.12 million people
in 1945
All-time low
10,000 people
in 1822
Years of data
207
1816–2022
Military personnel in United States, 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
The most recent figure for military personnel in United States is 1.36 million people, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, military personnel in United States peaked at 12.12 million people in 1945 and was at its lowest, 10,000 people, in 1822.
That places United States 3rd 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 United States, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1816 | 17,000 people | — |
| 1817 | 15,000 people | -11.8% |
| 1818 | 14,000 people | -6.7% |
| 1819 | 13,000 people | -7.1% |
| 1820 | 15,000 people | +15.4% |
| 1821 | 11,000 people | -26.7% |
| 1822 | 10,000 people | -9.1% |
| 1823 | 11,000 people | +10.0% |
| 1824 | 11,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1825 | 11,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1826 | 12,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1827 | 12,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1828 | 11,000 people | -8.3% |
| 1829 | 12,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1830 | 12,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1831 | 11,000 people | -8.3% |
| 1832 | 12,000 people | +9.1% |
| 1833 | 13,000 people | +8.3% |
| 1834 | 13,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1835 | 14,000 people | +7.7% |
| 1836 | 17,000 people | +21.4% |
| 1837 | 22,000 people | +29.4% |
| 1838 | 18,000 people | -18.2% |
| 1839 | 19,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1840 | 22,000 people | +15.8% |
| 1841 | 21,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1842 | 23,000 people | +9.5% |
| 1843 | 21,000 people | -8.7% |
| 1844 | 21,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1845 | 21,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1846 | 39,000 people | +85.7% |
| 1847 | 58,000 people | +48.7% |
| 1848 | 60,000 people | +3.4% |
| 1849 | 23,000 people | -61.7% |
| 1850 | 21,000 people | -8.7% |
| 1851 | 21,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1852 | 21,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1853 | 21,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1854 | 21,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1855 | 26,000 people | +23.8% |
| 1856 | 26,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1857 | 27,000 people | +3.8% |
| 1858 | 29,000 people | +7.4% |
| 1859 | 29,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1860 | 28,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1861 | 217,000 people | +675.0% |
| 1862 | 673,000 people | +210.1% |
| 1863 | 960,000 people | +42.6% |
| 1864 | 1.03 million people | +7.5% |
| 1865 | 1.06 million people | +3.0% |
| 1866 | 77,000 people | -92.8% |
| 1867 | 75,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1868 | 66,000 people | -12.0% |
| 1869 | 52,000 people | -21.2% |
| 1870 | 50,000 people | -3.8% |
| 1871 | 42,000 people | -16.0% |
| 1872 | 42,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1873 | 43,000 people | +2.4% |
| 1874 | 44,000 people | +2.3% |
| 1875 | 38,000 people | -13.6% |
| 1876 | 41,000 people | +7.9% |
| 1877 | 34,000 people | -17.1% |
| 1878 | 36,000 people | +5.9% |
| 1879 | 38,000 people | +5.6% |
| 1880 | 38,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1881 | 38,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1882 | 38,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1883 | 37,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1884 | 39,000 people | +5.4% |
| 1885 | 39,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1886 | 39,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1887 | 39,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1888 | 39,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1889 | 39,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1890 | 39,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1891 | 38,000 people | -2.6% |
| 1892 | 39,000 people | +2.6% |
| 1893 | 39,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1894 | 42,000 people | +7.7% |
| 1895 | 42,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1896 | 42,000 people | +0.0% |
| 1897 | 44,000 people | +4.8% |
| 1898 | 236,000 people | +436.4% |
| 1899 | 100,000 people | -57.6% |
| 1900 | 126,000 people | +26.0% |
| 1901 | 112,000 people | -11.1% |
| 1902 | 111,000 people | -0.9% |
| 1903 | 106,000 people | -4.5% |
| 1904 | 110,000 people | +3.8% |
| 1905 | 108,000 people | -1.8% |
| 1906 | 112,000 people | +3.7% |
| 1907 | 108,000 people | -3.6% |
| 1908 | 129,000 people | +19.4% |
| 1909 | 142,000 people | +10.1% |
| 1910 | 139,000 people | -2.1% |
| 1911 | 145,000 people | +4.3% |
| 1912 | 153,000 people | +5.5% |
| 1913 | 155,000 people | +1.3% |
| 1914 | 166,000 people | +7.1% |
| 1915 | 174,000 people | +4.8% |
| 1916 | 179,000 people | +2.9% |
| 1917 | 644,000 people | +259.8% |
| 1918 | 2.90 million people | +349.8% |
| 1919 | 1.17 million people | -59.5% |
| 1920 | 343,000 people | -70.8% |
| 1921 | 387,000 people | +12.8% |
| 1922 | 270,000 people | -30.2% |
| 1923 | 247,000 people | -8.5% |
| 1924 | 261,000 people | +5.7% |
| 1925 | 252,000 people | -3.4% |
| 1926 | 247,000 people | -2.0% |
| 1927 | 249,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1928 | 251,000 people | +0.8% |
| 1929 | 255,000 people | +1.6% |
| 1930 | 256,000 people | +0.4% |
| 1931 | 253,000 people | -1.2% |
| 1932 | 245,000 people | -3.2% |
| 1933 | 244,000 people | -0.4% |
| 1934 | 247,000 people | +1.2% |
| 1935 | 252,000 people | +2.0% |
| 1936 | 291,000 people | +15.5% |
| 1937 | 312,000 people | +7.2% |
| 1938 | 323,000 people | +3.5% |
| 1939 | 334,000 people | +3.4% |
| 1940 | 458,000 people | +37.1% |
| 1941 | 1.80 million people | +293.2% |
| 1942 | 3.86 million people | +114.3% |
| 1943 | 9.04 million people | +134.4% |
| 1944 | 11.45 million people | +26.6% |
| 1945 | 12.12 million people | +5.9% |
| 1946 | 3.03 million people | -75.0% |
| 1947 | 1.58 million people | -47.8% |
| 1948 | 1.45 million people | -8.7% |
| 1949 | 1.61 million people | +11.7% |
| 1950 | 1.46 million people | -9.6% |
| 1951 | 3.25 million people | +122.5% |
| 1952 | 3.64 million people | +11.9% |
| 1953 | 3.56 million people | -2.2% |
| 1954 | 3.30 million people | -7.1% |
| 1955 | 2.94 million people | -11.1% |
| 1956 | 2.81 million people | -4.4% |
| 1957 | 2.80 million people | -0.4% |
| 1958 | 2.41 million people | -13.8% |
| 1959 | 2.33 million people | -3.4% |
| 1960 | 2.31 million people | -0.9% |
| 1961 | 2.31 million people | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 2.81 million people | +21.7% |
| 1963 | 2.70 million people | -3.8% |
| 1964 | 2.69 million people | -0.5% |
| 1965 | 2.66 million people | -1.0% |
| 1966 | 3.09 million people | +16.2% |
| 1967 | 3.38 million people | +9.4% |
| 1968 | 3.55 million people | +5.0% |
| 1969 | 3.46 million people | -2.5% |
| 1970 | 3.07 million people | -11.3% |
| 1971 | 2.72 million people | -11.4% |
| 1972 | 2.32 million people | -14.6% |
| 1973 | 2.21 million people | -5.0% |
| 1974 | 2.15 million people | -2.7% |
| 1975 | 2.10 million people | -2.2% |
| 1976 | 2.08 million people | -1.1% |
| 1977 | 2.06 million people | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 2.06 million people | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 2.03 million people | -1.3% |
| 1980 | 2.05 million people | +0.8% |
| 1981 | 2.10 million people | +2.5% |
| 1982 | 2.17 million people | +3.2% |
| 1983 | 2.20 million people | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 2.22 million people | +1.0% |
| 1985 | 2.24 million people | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 2.27 million people | +1.1% |
| 1987 | 2.28 million people | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 2.25 million people | -1.3% |
| 1989 | 2.24 million people | -0.4% |
| 1990 | 2.18 million people | -2.7% |
| 1991 | 2.11 million people | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 1.92 million people | -9.0% |
| 1993 | 1.81 million people | -5.7% |
| 1994 | 1.71 million people | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 1.62 million people | -5.3% |
| 1996 | 1.57 million people | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 1.53 million people | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 1.51 million people | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 1.49 million people | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 1.37 million people | -8.3% |
| 2001 | 1.37 million people | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 1.41 million people | +3.4% |
| 2003 | 1.43 million people | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 1.45 million people | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 1.47 million people | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 1.55 million people | +4.9% |
| 2007 | 1.51 million people | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 1.50 million people | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 1.54 million people | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 1.58 million people | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 1.56 million people | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 1.57 million people | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 1.52 million people | -3.1% |
| 2014 | 1.49 million people | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 1.43 million people | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 1.38 million people | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 1.35 million people | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 1.35 million people | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.36 million people | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 1.36 million people | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 1.40 million people | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 1.36 million people | -2.5% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 1.36 million people is above the median for high income countries, which is 18,500 people, 73.5× the median. (64 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Military personnel in United States 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1861 | +675.0% | 28,000 people | 217,000 people |
| 1898 | +436.4% | 44,000 people | 236,000 people |
| 1918 | +349.8% | 644,000 people | 2.90 million people |
| 1941 | +293.2% | 458,000 people | 1.80 million people |
| 1917 | +259.8% | 179,000 people | 644,000 people |
| 1862 | +210.1% | 217,000 people | 673,000 people |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1810s | 14,750 people | 13,000 people | 17,000 people | 4 |
| 1820s | 11,600 people | 10,000 people | 15,000 people | 10 |
| 1830s | 15,100 people | 11,000 people | 22,000 people | 10 |
| 1840s | 30,900 people | 21,000 people | 60,000 people | 10 |
| 1850s | 24,200 people | 21,000 people | 29,000 people | 10 |
| 1860s | 424,300 people | 28,000 people | 1.06 million people | 10 |
| 1870s | 40,800 people | 34,000 people | 50,000 people | 10 |
| 1880s | 38,500 people | 37,000 people | 39,000 people | 10 |
| 1890s | 66,100 people | 38,000 people | 236,000 people | 10 |
| 1900s | 116,400 people | 106,000 people | 142,000 people | 10 |
| 1910s | 582,500 people | 139,000 people | 2.90 million people | 10 |
| 1920s | 276,200 people | 247,000 people | 387,000 people | 10 |
| 1930s | 275,700 people | 244,000 people | 334,000 people | 10 |
| 1940s | 4.64 million people | 458,000 people | 12.12 million people | 10 |
| 1950s | 2.85 million people | 1.46 million people | 3.64 million people | 10 |
| 1960s | 2.89 million people | 2.31 million people | 3.55 million people | 10 |
| 1970s | 2.28 million people | 2.03 million people | 3.07 million people | 10 |
| 1980s | 2.20 million people | 2.05 million people | 2.28 million people | 10 |
| 1990s | 1.75 million people | 1.49 million people | 2.18 million people | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.46 million people | 1.37 million people | 1.55 million people | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.46 million people | 1.35 million people | 1.58 million people | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.37 million people | 1.36 million people | 1.40 million people | 3 |
Countries ranked near United States
More reference data data for United States
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is military personnel in United States?
- Military personnel in United States was 1.36 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 United States?
- The highest recorded value was 12.12 million people in 1945.
- What is the lowest military personnel recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,000 people in 1822.
- How does United States rank for military personnel?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 194 countries with data for 2022.
- Is military personnel rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this United States 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
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.