Albania: Armed forces personnel, total

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Albania's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 8,000 to 8,000).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2019), the average change was −5.4% and a typical year strayed about 18.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 33.1% in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 48.9% in 2006. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is downward, about 630.3 a year. A straight line explains 52% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2020, Albania had the 140th highest value of the 170 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Albania in the 2020 ranking

• Ireland — 137th of 170: 9,000
• Latvia — 138th of 170: 9,000
• Sierra Leone — 139th of 170: 9,000
• Brunei Darussalam — 141st of 170: 8,000
• Estonia — 142nd of 170: 7,000
• Gabon — 143rd of 170: 7,000

What this measures

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.

Limitations: Data excludes personnel not on active duty, therefore it underestimates the share of the labor force working for the defense establishment. The cooperation of governments of all countries listed in “The Military Balance” has been sought by IISS and, in many cases, received. However, some data in “The Military Balance” is estimated.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 30 values

Armed forces personnel, total in nearby economies

• Armenia — 47,000 (2020)
• Austria — 23,000 (2020)
• Azerbaijan — 82,000 (2020)
• Belarus — 158,000 (2020)
• Belgium — 24,000 (2020)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 11,000 (2020)
• Bulgaria — 37,000 (2020)
• Croatia — 20,000 (2020)
• Cyprus — 13,000 (2020)
• Czechia — 27,000 (2020)
• Denmark — 15,000 (2020)

More public sector data for Albania

• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 54.11 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.03% (2025)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 23 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 623.61 million (2025)
• Intentional homicides, female (per 100,000 female) — 0.84 (2023)
• Intentional homicides, male (per 100,000 male) — 1.94 (2023)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 1.39 (2023)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 0.65% (2020)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (current LCU) — 18.14 billion (2024)
• Net acquisition of financial assets (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Albania's armed forces personnel, total?

8,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1985?

It is down 80.2% from 40,400 in 1985 (4.52% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 86,500 in 1995 and the lowest 8,000 in 2019.

How does Albania rank?

140th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in armed forces personnel, total unusual for Albania?

In 2020, Albania's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 8,000 to 8,000). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2019), the average change was −5.4% and a typical year strayed about 18.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator MS.MIL.TOTL.P1, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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