North Macedonia: Armed forces personnel, total

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, North Macedonia's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 16,000 to 16,000).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2019), the average change was +5.1% and a typical year strayed about 28% 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 95% in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 57.9% in 2009. 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 1,164 a year. A straight line explains 75% 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, North Macedonia had the 113th 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 North Macedonia in the 2020 ranking

• Tajikistan — 112th of 170: 17,000
• Ghana — 113th of 170: 16,000
• Namibia — 114th of 170: 16,000
• Zambia — 116th of 170: 16,000
• Denmark — 117th of 170: 15,000
• Malawi — 118th of 170: 15,000

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)
• 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 North Macedonia

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 374.75 million (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 20.45 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 1.97% (2025)
• Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force) — 2% (2020)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 5.13% (2025)
• Intentional homicides, female (per 100,000 female) — 0.96 (2023)
• Intentional homicides, male (per 100,000 male) — 2.13 (2023)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 1.53 (2023)
• Statistical performance indicators (SPI): Pillar 1 data use score (scale 0-100)

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 North Macedonia's armed forces personnel, total?

16,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1992?

It is up 60% from 10,000 in 1992 (1.69% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 27,500 in 1998 and the lowest 8,000 in 2009.

How does North Macedonia rank?

113th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, North Macedonia's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 16,000 to 16,000). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2019), the average change was +5.1% and a typical year strayed about 28% 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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