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.
| 1990 | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| China | 35,00,000 | 39,10,000 | 37,55,000 | 29,45,000 | 29,45,000 | 29,93,000 | 29,93,000 | 29,93,000 | 28,43,000 | 26,95,000 | 26,95,000 | 26,95,000 | 25,35,000 | 25,35,000 |
| Japan | 2,50,000 | 2,48,700 | 2,72,000 | 2,60,382 | 2,60,086 | 2,59,800 | 2,59,800 | 2,59,800 | 2,59,800 | 2,60,890 | 2,61,000 | 2,61,150 | 2,61,000 | 2,61,000 |
| France | 5,50,000 | 3,89,400 | 3,59,000 | 3,41,967 | 3,32,250 | 3,25,600 | 3,18,400 | 3,12,350 | 3,06,350 | 3,06,100 | 3,07,000 | 3,04,800 | 3,04,000 | 3,04,000 |
| Germany | 5,45,000 | 2,21,100 | 2,85,000 | 2,51,465 | 1,96,000 | 1,86,450 | 1,81,550 | 1,78,600 | 1,77,300 | 1,79,100 | 1,80,000 | 1,81,400 | 1,84,000 | 1,83,000 |
| Italy | 4,93,000 | 5,03,100 | 4,45,000 | 3,59,378 | 3,67,550 | 3,59,500 | 3,59,500 | 3,56,850 | 3,56,850 | 3,56,850 | 3,47,000 | 3,41,500 | 3,42,000 | 3,38,000 |
| Russian Federation | 14,27,100 | 14,52,000 | 14,30,000 | 13,64,000 | 13,64,000 | 12,60,000 | 12,87,000 | 14,90,000 | 14,54,000 | 14,54,000 | 14,54,000 | 14,54,000 | 14,54,000 | |
| United Kingdom | 3,08,000 | 2,12,500 | 2,17,000 | 1,74,020 | 1,65,650 | 1,69,150 | 1,59,150 | 1,54,700 | 1,52,350 | 1,50,250 | 1,48,000 | 1,48,450 | 1,49,000 | 1,53,000 |
| Brazil | 2,95,000 | 6,73,200 | 6,73,000 | 7,13,480 | 7,13,480 | 7,13,480 | 7,13,480 | 7,29,500 | 7,29,500 | 7,29,500 | 7,30,000 | 7,61,500 | 7,62,000 | 7,62,000 |
| Mexico | 1,75,000 | 2,07,800 | 2,04,000 | 3,31,750 | 3,29,750 | 3,29,750 | 3,25,450 | 3,36,050 | 3,36,050 | 3,36,050 | 3,36,000 | 3,48,000 | 3,28,000 | 3,41,000 |
| Canada | 87,000 | 68,500 | 71,000 | 65,700 | 65,700 | 66,000 | 65,700 | 70,200 | 67,500 | 67,500 | 72,000 | 72,400 | 72,000 | 72,000 |
| United States of America | 21,80,000 | 14,54,800 | 15,46,000 | 15,69,417 | 15,20,100 | 14,92,200 | 14,33,150 | 13,81,250 | 13,47,300 | 13,48,400 | 13,59,000 | 13,79,800 | 13,88,000 | 13,95,000 |
| India | 12,60,000 | 23,72,000 | 30,47,000 | 26,25,586 | 26,47,150 | 27,28,700 | 27,49,700 | 27,49,700 | 27,98,800 | 29,81,050 | 30,31,000 | 30,26,500 | 30,45,000 | 30,68,000 |
| South Africa | 85,000 | 71,600 | 56,000 | 77,153 | 77,582 | 62,100 | 77,150 | 82,250 | 82,150 | 81,400 | 80,000 | 89,650 | 90,000 | 89,000 |