Azerbaijan: Armed forces personnel, total

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Azerbaijan's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 82,000 to 82,000).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2019), the average change was +4.8% and a typical year strayed about 30.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below 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 153.4% in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 18.3% in 1998. 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 upward, about 5.76 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, Azerbaijan had the 55th 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 Azerbaijan in the 2020 ranking

• Nepal — 52nd of 170: 112,000
• Argentina — 53rd of 170: 103,000
• South Africa — 54th of 170: 89,000
• Lebanon — 56th of 170: 80,000
• Cuba — 57th of 170: 76,000
• Canada — 58th of 170: 72,000

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 29 values

Armed forces personnel, total in nearby economies

• Albania — 8,000 (2020)
• Armenia — 47,000 (2020)
• Austria — 23,000 (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 Azerbaijan

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 4.94 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 8.4 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 6.47% (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 17.68% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 1.58% (2020)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 2.16 (2023)
• Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values) — 463 million (2025)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 10.05 billion (2024)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 7.94% (2024)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Azerbaijan's armed forces personnel, total?

82,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1992?

It is up 90.7% from 43,000 in 1992 (2.33% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 126,700 in 1995 and the lowest 43,000 in 1992.

How does Azerbaijan rank?

55th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, Azerbaijan's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 82,000 to 82,000). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2019), the average change was +4.8% and a typical year strayed about 30.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below 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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