Slovak Republic: Armed forces personnel, total

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Slovak Republic's armed forces personnel, total rose 12.5% on 2019 (from 16,000 to 18,000).

Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2019), the average change was −2.1% and a typical year strayed about 12% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 42.4% in 1994 and the biggest yearly fall was 28.8% in 2003. 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 126.36 a year. A straight line explains 32% 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, Slovak Republic had the 110th 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 Slovak Republic in the 2020 ranking

• Bahrain — 108th of 170: 19,000
• Senegal — 109th of 170: 19,000
• Mongolia — 110th of 170: 18,000
• Tajikistan — 112th of 170: 17,000
• Ghana — 113th of 170: 16,000
• Namibia — 114th of 170: 16,000

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 28 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 Slovak Republic

• Military expenditure (current USD) — 3.12 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (current LCU) — 2.76 billion (2025)
• Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.03% (2025)
• Intentional homicides (per 100,000 people) — 1.12 (2023)
• Military expenditure (% of general government expenditure) — 4.16% (2025)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (current LCU) — 3.26 billion (2024)
• Net investment in nonfinancial assets (% of GDP) — 2.5% (2024)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (current LCU) — -7.06 billion (2024)
• Net lending (+) / net borrowing (-) (% of GDP)

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 Slovak Republic's armed forces personnel, total?

18,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1993?

It is down 45.45% from 33,000 in 1993 (2.22% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 51,000 in 1995 and the lowest 15,799 in 2010.

How does Slovak Republic rank?

110th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.

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

In 2020, Slovak Republic's armed forces personnel, total rose 12.5% on 2019 (from 16,000 to 18,000). Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2019), the average change was −2.1% and a typical year strayed about 12% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.2 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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