Armed forces personnel in the EU

The number of military personnel serving in member states of the European Union has declined from approximately 3.4 million people at the end of the Cold War in 1989, to less than two million by 2019. While European Union countries cooperate closely on issues of defense and security, particularly as the vast majority of EU member states are also members of NATO, the current Common Security and Defence Policy of the EU does not amount to a formal military alliance, nor an EU army.

Total annual personnel in the armed forces of European Union member states from 1989 to 2019

Characteristic	Number of military personnel
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Release date

May 2023

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Region

Europe, EU

Survey time period

1989 to 2019

Supplementary notes

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.

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