Iceland: Armed forces personnel, total

Key figures

What the numbers say

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

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was −6.84 and a typical year strayed about 61.38 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 50 in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 250 in 2017. 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 25.01 a year. A straight line explains 51% of the movement over 9 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, Iceland had the 166th 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 Iceland in the 2020 ranking

• Haiti — 164th of 170: 1,000
• Luxembourg — 165th of 170: 1,000
• Antigua and Barbuda — 166th of 170: 0
• Libya — 168th of 170: 0
• Seychelles — 169th of 170: 0
• West Bank and Gaza — 170th of 170: 0

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 23 values

Armed forces personnel, total in nearby economies

• Albania — 8,000 (2020)
• 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)

More public sector data for Iceland

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 0 (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 0 (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 0% (2025)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (current LCU) — 113.95 billion (2023)
• Net incurrence of liabilities, total (% of GDP) — 2.61% (2023)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 100.01 billion (2023)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 2.29% (2023)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — -47.09 billion (2023)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP) — -1.08% (2023)
• Grants and other revenue (current LCU)

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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Questions people ask

What is Iceland's armed forces personnel, total?

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

How has it changed since 1995?

It is down 100% from 100 in 1995. The highest value was 250 in 2015 and the lowest 0 in 2017.

How does Iceland rank?

166th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, Iceland's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0 on 2019 (from 0 to 0). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2019), the average change was −6.84 and a typical year strayed about 61.38 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.

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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