Uruguay's armed forces personnel, total was 22,000 in 2020, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 13.52% from 25,439 in 2010 (1.44% a year on average, compounded).
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 22,000 | 2020 |
| Five years earlier | 25,450 | 2015 |
| Ten years earlier | 25,439 | 2010 |
| Highest | 31,900 | 1985 |
| Lowest | 22,000 | 2017 |
| Average since 2011 | 24,080 | 2011–2020 |
| First recorded | 31,900 | 1985 |
What the numbers say
In 2020, Uruguay's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 22,000 to 22,000).
Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was −0.8% and a typical year strayed about 3.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 6% in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 13.6% 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 498.79 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, Uruguay had the 100th 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.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | 22,000 | 2020 |
| World | 27.41 million | 2020 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 2.74 million | 2020 |
| High income | 7 million | 2020 |
Closest to Uruguay in the 2020 ranking
- Finland — 100th of 170: 22,000
- Madagascar — 101st of 170: 22,000
- Qatar — 102nd of 170: 22,000
- Kyrgyz Republic — 104th of 170: 21,000
- Mauritania — 105th of 170: 21,000
- Croatia — 106th of 170: 20,000
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 32 values
| Year | Armed forces personnel, total |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 22,000 |
| 2019 | 22,000 |
| 2018 | 22,100 |
| 2017 | 22,000 |
| 2016 | 25,450 |
| 2015 | 25,450 |
| 2014 | 25,450 |
| 2013 | 25,450 |
| 2012 | 25,450 |
| 2011 | 25,450 |
| 2010 |
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)
- Cuba — 76,000 (2020)
More public sector data for Uruguay
- Military expenditure (current USD) — 1.95 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (current LCU) — 80.38 billion (2025)
- Military expenditure (% of GDP) — 2.28% (2025)
- Grants and other revenue (current LCU) — 227.93 billion (2024)
- Grants and other revenue (% of revenue) — 19.49% (2024)
- Social contributions (current LCU) — 350.48 billion (2024)
- Social contributions (% of revenue) — 29.96% (2024)
- Revenue, excluding grants (current LCU) — 1.01 trillion (2024)
- Revenue, excluding grants (% of GDP) — 30.6% (2024)
- Taxes on goods and services (current LCU)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Uruguay's armed forces personnel, total?
- 22,000 in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1985?
- It is down 31.03% from 31,900 in 1985 (1.06% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 31,900 in 1985 and the lowest 22,000 in 2017.
- How does Uruguay rank?
- 100th highest of 170 economies with data for 2020.
- Is the latest change in armed forces personnel, total unusual for Uruguay?
- In 2020, Uruguay's armed forces personnel, total did not change 0% on 2019 (from 22,000 to 22,000). Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was −0.8% and a typical year strayed about 3.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations above 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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