How many people are in the US military?
The US military had 2.81 million service members worldwide in 2025, of which 1.33 million were active-duty.
As of December 2025, the US military consisted of 2.81 million people worldwide, including 2.10 million military personnel and 715,212 civilians. With the most recent numbers, the military is slightly greater than the population of Chicago, the country's third-largest city.
These forces are spread across six main service branches: the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force – all tasked to protect and serve the US.
Of those military members, the Department of Defense (DOD) listed nearly 1.33 million people as active-duty troops, and 770,118 as National Guard or reserves.
The number of active-duty military personnel has fallen 37% since 1980.
Total US military personnel by category, 1980–2025
As of December 2025, reported active-duty troops included:
- 447,455 in the Army
- 339,602 in the Navy
- 315,317 in the Air Force
- 170,849 in the Marine Corps
- 10,205 in the Space Force
- 41,825 in the Coast Guard
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Active-duty military figures have fallen 64.1% from their peak during the Vietnam War in 1968. Following the end of the Cold War, troop size dropped again during the 1990s. Since then, troop levels have changed modestly during periods that included US conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.
US active-duty troop levels have declined 64% since their 1968 peak.
Active-duty military personnel by branch, 1954–2025
What are the military’s demographics?
Each year in December, Military OneSource — a DOD website — releases an annual report that outlines the demographics of each service branch of the military by race, ethnicity, gender, and age, among other factors.
Representation of racial identities varies across service branches, with some branches having equal or higher representation of certain racial and ethnic groups compared to the overall population.
Racial and ethnic breakdown
As of December 2024, 21.4% of active-duty Army soldiers were Black or African American, totaling 95,149 troops.
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders had the most representation in the Air Force, while American Indian or Alaska Native had the largest representation in the Navy.
The Space Force was the only branch with a higher proportion of Asian Americans than the US population.
The Navy has the largest share of non‑white service members among all military branches.
Share of active-duty military personnel by race and branch, 2024
From 2010 to 2024, the percentage of racial diversity by branch increased in the Army (3.3 percentage points) and the Air Force (5.2 percentage points), but decreased in the Navy (-0.1 percentage points) and Marine Corps (-1.0 percentage points).
The Navy’s racial minority representation is almost double that of the Marine Corps.
Share of active-duty military personnel in minority racial groups by branch, 2010–2024
The Marine Corps has a higher percentage of Hispanic or Latino members than other service branches and a higher percentage than the US population overall. The other branches have slightly lower proportions of Hispanic or Latino service members, ranging from 0.5% to 5.0% below the national average.
The Marine Corps has the largest share of Hispanic or Latino troops by branch.
Share of active-duty military personnel that are Hispanic or Latino by branch, 2024
How many women are in the military?
As of 2024, female service members made up an average of 17.9% of all active-duty military personnel, totaling 227,114 members. Female military representation increased 0.7% percentage points from 2020 to 2024.
The Air Force has the highest share of female troops.
Share of active-duty military personnel by sex and branch, 2024
The percentage of women actively serving in all military branches has risen from 14.6% in 2005 to 17.9% by 2024 — an overall increase of 3.3 percentage points.
Female representation has grown fastest in the Navy and Air Force.
Share of female active-duty military personnel by branch, 2005–2024
What's the average age of a US soldier?
In 2024, the average age of an active-duty military member across all branches was 28.7 years old. By branch, the youngest to oldest average ages were:
- Marine Corps: 25.2 years
- Army: 29.1 years
- Navy: 29.1 years
- Air Force: 29.4 years
- Space Force: 31.3 years
Age representation in the military has changed over time. The share of military members ages 26 to 40 has increased since 2005, while it has decreased among ages 25 years or younger and 41 years or older.
Fewer active‑duty troops are 25 or younger than in 2005.
Share of active-duty military personnel by age group and branch, 2005–2024
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