Cuba: Armed forces personnel, total

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Cuba's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 76,000 to 76,000).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was −3.7% and a typical year strayed about 10.9% 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 15.8% in 1999 and the biggest yearly fall was 41.1% in 1992. 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 72.73 a year. A straight line explains 73% 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, Cuba had the 57th 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 Cuba in the 2020 ranking

• South Africa — 54th of 170: 89,000
• Azerbaijan — 55th of 170: 82,000
• Lebanon — 56th of 170: 80,000
• Canada — 58th of 170: 72,000
• Bolivia — 59th of 170: 71,000
• Dominican Republic — 60th of 170: 71,000

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 33 values

Armed forces personnel, total in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 0 (2020)
• Argentina — 103,000 (2020)
• Bahamas, The — 2,000 (2020)
• Barbados — 1,000 (2020)
• Belize — 2,000 (2020)
• Bolivia — 71,000 (2020)
• Brazil — 762,000 (2020)
• Chile — 114,000 (2020)
• Colombia — 428,000 (2020)
• Costa Rica — 10,000 (2020)
• Dominican Republic — 71,000 (2020)

More public sector data for Cuba

• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 1.54% (2020)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 2.92 billion (2018)
• Intentional homicides, female (per 100,000 female) — 1.86 (2019)
• Intentional homicides, male (per 100,000 male) — 7.12 (2019)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 4.46 (2019)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100) — 40 (2024)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 3 data products score (scale 0-100) — 61.97 (2024)
• Military expenditure (current USD) — 128.61 million (2018)
• Internally displaced persons, new displacement associated with disasters (number of cases)

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 Cuba's armed forces personnel, total?

76,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1985?

It is down 52.94% from 161,500 in 1985 (2.13% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 297,000 in 1989 and the lowest 72,500 in 2001.

How does Cuba rank?

57th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, Cuba's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 76,000 to 76,000). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was −3.7% and a typical year strayed about 10.9% 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.

Where does this data come from?

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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