Historical chart and dataset showing U.S. military size by year from 1985 to 2020.

The U.S. Army remains the largest branch of the American military, with 449,344 active duty personnel in 2023. While the Army leads in numbers, the newly established Space Force had just 8,879 active duty members, highlighting the evolving nature of modern warfare and the increasing importance of space-based capabilities. Confidence in military remains high Despite fluctuations in force size, public trust in the U.S. military remains strong. In 2024, 61 percent of Americans expressed a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the armed forces, a slight increase from the previous year. While a slightly higher share of Republicans have shown more confidence in the military, trust in the institution remains high across party lines. Global commitments The United States continues to invest heavily in its military capabilities, with defense spending reaching 916.02 billion U.S. dollars in 2023. This substantial budget supports not only domestic defense needs but also enables the U.S. to respond to global crises, as evidenced by the over 40 billion euros in military aid provided to Ukraine following Russia's invasion. The high level of spending, which translates to about 2,220 U.S. dollars per capita.

North America military size for 2020 was 1,467,000, a 0.48% increase from 2019.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>North America military size for 2019 was <strong>1,460,000</strong>, a <strong>0.54% increase</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>North America military size for 2018 was <strong>1,452,200</strong>, a <strong>1.48% increase</strong> from 2017.</li>
<li>North America military size for 2017 was <strong>1,431,000</strong>, a <strong>1.07% increase</strong> from 2016.</li>
</ul>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.

This statistic shows the size of the United States military in terms of available aircraft, vehicles and ships in 2017, by type. In March 2017, the U.S. military had 3,476 tactical aircraft.

The graph illustrates the number of personnel in each branch of the U.S. Military for the year 2025. The x-axis lists the military branches: Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The y-axis represents the number of personnel, ranging from 41,477 to 449,265. Among the branches, the Army has the highest number of personnel with 449,265, followed by the Navy with 333,794 and the Air Force with 317,675. The Marine Corps and Coast Guard have 168,628 and 41,477 personnel, respectively. The data is displayed in a bar graph format, effectively highlighting the distribution of military personnel across the different branches.

Latin America & Caribbean military size for 2020 was 2,740,000, a 1.72% decline from 2019.

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Latin America & Caribbean military size for 2019 was <strong>2,788,000</strong>, a <strong>0.58% decline</strong> from 2018.</li>
<li>Latin America & Caribbean military size for 2018 was <strong>2,804,200</strong>, a <strong>1.75% increase</strong> from 2017.</li>
<li>Latin America & Caribbean military size for 2017 was <strong>2,756,000</strong>, a <strong>2.74% increase</strong> from 2016.</li>
</ul>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.

Throughout the 19th century, the share of military personnel employed by the United States government was below 0.2 percent of the total population in most years. There were noticeable spikes in enlistments and conscriptions during the American Civil War (1861-65), the First World War (1917-18*), and Second World War (1941-45*), as well as smaller increases during the Mexican-American War (1946-48) and the Spanish-American War (1898), but figures were generally much lower than the post-WWII era.

Following the Second World War, the United States abandoned many of its isolationist positions as it sought to become the world's leading superpower. This involved stationing millions of troops in overseas bases during the Cold War, in strategically important locations such as West Germany, Japan, and Taiwan. Additionally, involvement in conflicts such as the Korean War (1950-1953) and Vietnam War (1964-1973*) kept military employment high, usually between 1-2 percent until the 1970s. Figures remained just below the one percent mark until the 1990s, when the end of the Cold War and the growing influence of technology in conventional warfare saw a decrease in demand for many traditional combat roles. Despite U.S. involvement in a number of overseas conflicts in the 21st century, military personnel represented less than 0.5 percent of the total population in most years between 2000 and 2016.

In 2023, there were around 1.11 million active duty U.S. Armed Forces personnel stationed within the United States. In that year, there were 156,418 U.S. Armed Forces personnel stationed in California, the most of any state.

As of May 2025, China had the largest armed forces in the world by active duty military personnel, with about *********** active soldiers. India, the United States, North Korea, and Russia rounded out the top five largest armies. Difference between active and reserve personnel Active personnel, also known as active duty in the United States and active service in the United Kingdom, are those individuals whose full-time occupation is being part of a military force. Active duty contrasts with a military’s reserve force, which are individuals who have both a military role and a civilian career. The number of active duty forces in the U.S. is much larger than its reserve membership. What is the strongest army? The strength of a country’s armed forces is not only determined by how many personnel they maintain, but also the number and quality of their military equipment. For example, looking only at personnel does not factor in the overwhelmingly higher number of nuclear warheads owned by Russia and the United States compared to other countries. One way to answer this question is to look at the total amount of money each country spends on their military, as spending includes both personnel and technology. In terms of countries with the highest military spending, the United States leads the world with an annual budget almost ***** times larger than second-placed China.

Central America military size for was 0.00, a 0% increase from .

<ul style='margin-top:20px;'>

<li>Central America military size for was <strong>0.00</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from .</li>
<li>Central America military size for was <strong>0.00</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from .</li>
<li>Central America military size for was <strong>0.00</strong>, a <strong>0% increase</strong> from .</li>
</ul>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.

The North America Military Aviation Market is segmented by Sub Aircraft Type (Fixed-Wing Aircraft, Rotorcraft) and by Country (Canada, Mexico, United States). Key Data Points observed include air passenger traffic, air transport freight, defense spending, military aircraft active fleet, revenue passenger kilometers, high-net worth individuals, and inflation rate.

The US Military Aviation Market is segmented by Sub Aircraft Type (Fixed-Wing Aircraft, Rotorcraft). Key Data Points observed include air passenger traffic, air transport freight, defense spending, military aircraft active fleet, revenue passenger kilometers, high-net worth individuals, and inflation rate.

In 2024, 61 percent of survey respondents in the United States said they had either a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in the military. This is a slight increase from the previous year, when 640percent of respondents had confidence in the U.S. military. Additionally, this is an increase of six points from 1975 levels, when only 58 percent of Americans had confidence in the military.

In the fiscal year of 2019, 21.39 percent of active-duty enlisted women were of Hispanic origin. The total number of active duty military personnel in 2019 amounted to 1.3 million people.

Ethnicities in the United States The United States is known around the world for the diversity of its population. The Census recognizes six different racial and ethnic categories: White American, Native American and Alaska Native, Asian American, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander. People of Hispanic or Latino origin are classified as a racially diverse ethnicity.

The largest part of the population, about 61.3 percent, is composed of White Americans. The largest minority in the country are Hispanics with a share of 17.8 percent of the population, followed by Black or African Americans with 13.3 percent. Life in the U.S. and ethnicity However, life in the United States seems to be rather different depending on the race or ethnicity that you belong to. For instance: In 2019, native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders had the highest birth rate of 58 per 1,000 women, while the birth rae of white alone, non Hispanic women was 49 children per 1,000 women.

The Black population living in the United States has the highest poverty rate with of all Census races and ethnicities in the United States. About 19.5 percent of the Black population was living with an income lower than the 2020 poverty threshold. The Asian population has the smallest poverty rate in the United States, with about 8.1 percent living in poverty.

The median annual family income in the United States in 2020 earned by Black families was about 57,476 U.S. dollars, while the average family income earned by the Asian population was about 109,448 U.S. dollars. This is more than 25,000 U.S. dollars higher than the U.S. average family income, which was 84,008 U.S. dollars.

The North America Military Satellite report features an extensive regional analysis, identifying market penetration levels across major geographic areas. It highlights regional growth trends and opportunities, allowing businesses to tailor their market entry strategies and maximize growth in specific regions.

The North America Military Helicopters Market is segmented by Body Type (Multi-Mission Helicopter, Transport Helicopter, Others) and by Country (Canada, Mexico, United States). Key Data Points observed include air passenger traffic, air transport freight, defense spending, military aircraft active fleet, revenue passenger kilometers, high-net worth individuals, and inflation rate.

The US Defense Market is Segmented by Armed Forces (Army, Navy, and Air Force) and Type (Fixed-Wing Aircraft, Rotorcraft, Ground Vehicles, Naval Vessels, C4isr, Weapons and Ammunition, Protection and Training Equipment, and Unmanned Systems). The Report Offers Market Size and Forecast for all the Above Segments in Value (USD).

Graph and download economic data for Real Gross Domestic Product: Military in the United States (USGOVFEDMILRGSP) from 1997 to 2024 about military, GSP, federal, government, real, industry, GDP, and USA.

The North America Military Antenna Market size is valued at USD 1.5 billion in 2023, driven by market growth, strategic insights, and top players analysis. Explore market trends, revenue, and segmentation.

At the end of the fiscal year of 2024, it is estimated that there will be ** Generals serving the United States Army, and a total of ******* enlisted personnel. Military personnel The military departments in the United States are: the U.S. Army, the U.S. Navy, the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Marine Corps, and the U.S. Coast Guards. The President of the United States is the military’s overall head and forms the military policy with the U.S. Department of Defense. The U.S. military is one of the largest militaries in term of number of personnel. The largest branch of the United States Armed Forces is the United States Army. The United States Army is responsible for land-based military operations. The active duty U.S. Army personnel number has decreased from 2010 to 2021. In 2010, there were ******* active duty U.S. Army members, as compared to ******* in 2021. The number of active duty U.S. Navy personnel has decreased slowly over the past 20 years. In 2021, there were ******* active duty Navy members in the United States Navy. The United States Navy personnel are enlisted sailors, commissioned officers, and midshipmen. Sailors have to take part in Personnel Qualification Standards, to prove that they have mastered skills. The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States. The active duty U.S. Air Force personnel numbers also decreased between 1995 and 2015, although has started to increase slightly since 2015. The number decreased again in 2021, when the Air Force had ******* personnel.