Armed forces as a share of the population in Belgium in 2022 — 0.198%. Ranked 106 in the world out of 189. Since 1830, the indicator has fallen by 1.323 pp.
1830–2022 · % of population
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Belgium
| Year | % | Change, pp |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.198 | −0.01 pp |
| 2021 | 0.207 | −0.018 pp |
| 2020 | 0.225 | −0.01 pp |
| 2019 | 0.235 | −0.019 pp |
| 2018 | 0.254 | −0.01 pp |
| 2017 | 0.264 | −0.009 pp |
| 2016 | 0.273 | −0.002 pp |
| 2015 | 0.275 | −0.002 pp |
| 2014 | 0.276 | −0.02 pp |
| 2013 | 0.296 | −0.012 pp |
| 2012 | 0.307 | −0.038 pp |
| 2011 | 0.345 | −0.002 pp |
| 2010 | 0.347 | −0.012 pp |
| 2009 | 0.359 | −0.012 pp |
| 2008 | 0.371 | −0.003 pp |
| 2007 | 0.375 | +0.025 pp |
| 2006 | 0.349 | −0.003 pp |
| 2005 | 0.352 | −0.021 pp |
| 2004 | 0.374 | −0.021 pp |
| 2003 | 0.395 | +0.018 pp |
| 2002 | 0.377 | −0.002 pp |
| 2001 | 0.379 | −0.005 pp |
| 2000 | 0.384 | −0.03 pp |
| 1999 | 0.414 | −0.01 pp |
| 1998 | 0.424 | −0.027 pp |
| 1997 | 0.452 | +0.009 pp |
| 1996 | 0.443 | −0.021 pp |
| 1995 | 0.464 | −0.06 pp |
| 1994 | 0.524 | −0.17 pp |
| 1993 | 0.694 | −0.092 pp |
| 1992 | 0.786 | −0.226 pp |
| 1991 | 1.012 | −0.051 pp |
| 1990 | 1.064 | −0.043 pp |
| 1989 | 1.107 | −0.004 pp |
| 1988 | 1.111 | +0.007 pp |
| 1987 | 1.104 | +0.019 pp |
| 1986 | 1.085 | −0 pp |
| 1985 | 1.085 | −0 pp |
| 1984 | 1.086 | −0.02 pp |
| 1983 | 1.106 | +0 pp |
| 1982 | 1.106 | −0.011 pp |
| 1981 | 1.117 | +0.02 pp |
| 1980 | 1.097 | +0.009 pp |
| 1979 | 1.088 | −0.021 pp |
| 1978 | 1.109 | +0.019 pp |
| 1977 | 1.089 | +0.04 pp |
| 1976 | 1.05 | −0.002 pp |
| 1975 | 1.052 | −0.023 pp |
| 1974 | 1.075 | −0.024 pp |
| 1973 | 1.099 | +0.017 pp |
| 1972 | 1.081 | −0.056 pp |
| 1971 | 1.137 | −0.002 pp |
| 1970 | 1.139 | −0.053 pp |
| 1969 | 1.192 | −0.003 pp |
| 1968 | 1.196 | −0.005 pp |
| 1967 | 1.2 | −0.007 pp |
| 1966 | 1.207 | −0.008 pp |
| 1965 | 1.215 | −0.011 pp |
| 1964 | 1.226 | −0.012 pp |
| 1963 | 1.238 | +0.045 pp |
| 1962 | 1.193 | −0.001 pp |
| 1961 | 1.193 | −0.008 pp |
| 1960 | 1.202 | +0.016 pp |
| 1959 | 1.186 | +0.015 pp |
| 1958 | 1.171 | +0.047 pp |
| 1957 | 1.124 | +0.025 pp |
| 1956 | 1.098 | +0.038 pp |
| 1955 | 1.06 | +0.028 pp |
| 1954 | 1.032 | +0.052 pp |
| 1953 | 0.98 | +0.052 pp |
| 1952 | 0.928 | +0.041 pp |
| 1951 | 0.887 | +0.031 pp |
| 1950 | 0.857 | +0.044 pp |
| 1949 | 0.813 | −0.017 pp |
| 1948 | 0.83 | −0.051 pp |
| 1947 | 0.881 | −0.061 pp |
| 1946 | 0.942 | −0.017 pp |
| 1945 | 0.959 | — |
| 1940 | 0.989 | −0.024 pp |
| 1939 | 1.012 | −0.061 pp |
| 1938 | 1.073 | +0.212 pp |
| 1937 | 0.861 | +0.057 pp |
| 1936 | 0.804 | −0.015 pp |
| 1935 | 0.819 | −0.002 pp |
| 1934 | 0.822 | +0.021 pp |
| 1933 | 0.8 | −0.016 pp |
| 1932 | 0.816 | +0.007 pp |
| 1931 | 0.809 | −0.044 pp |
| 1930 | 0.853 | +0.021 pp |
| 1929 | 0.831 | +0.019 pp |
| 1928 | 0.812 | −0.02 pp |
| 1927 | 0.832 | −0.222 pp |
| 1926 | 1.054 | +0.004 pp |
| 1925 | 1.05 | −0.017 pp |
| 1924 | 1.067 | −0.681 pp |
| 1923 | 1.748 | +0.197 pp |
| 1922 | 1.552 | +0.215 pp |
| 1921 | 1.337 | −0.77 pp |
| 1920 | 2.106 | −0.692 pp |
| 1919 | 2.798 | +0.032 pp |
| 1918 | 2.766 | +0.227 pp |
| 1917 | 2.539 | +0.082 pp |
| 1916 | 2.457 | +0.433 pp |
| 1915 | 2.024 | +0.527 pp |
| 1914 | 1.497 | +0.868 pp |
| 1913 | 0.628 | +0.008 pp |
| 1912 | 0.621 | −0.007 pp |
| 1911 | 0.628 | −0.019 pp |
| 1910 | 0.647 | +0.029 pp |
| 1909 | 0.617 | −0.006 pp |
| 1908 | 0.623 | +0.022 pp |
| 1907 | 0.601 | −0.007 pp |
| 1906 | 0.608 | −0.007 pp |
| 1905 | 0.614 | −0.007 pp |
| 1904 | 0.622 | −0.037 pp |
| 1903 | 0.659 | −0.052 pp |
| 1902 | 0.711 | +0.005 pp |
| 1901 | 0.706 | −0.056 pp |
| 1900 | 0.762 | +0.035 pp |
| 1899 | 0.726 | +0.022 pp |
| 1898 | 0.705 | −0.039 pp |
| 1897 | 0.744 | +0.005 pp |
| 1896 | 0.739 | +0.006 pp |
| 1895 | 0.733 | −0.008 pp |
| 1894 | 0.741 | −0.009 pp |
| 1893 | 0.751 | −0.073 pp |
| 1892 | 0.823 | +0.025 pp |
| 1891 | 0.799 | +0.057 pp |
| 1890 | 0.741 | −0.046 pp |
| 1889 | 0.788 | −0.008 pp |
| 1888 | 0.796 | +0.043 pp |
| 1887 | 0.753 | −0.008 pp |
| 1886 | 0.761 | −0.025 pp |
| 1885 | 0.786 | −0.027 pp |
| 1884 | 0.812 | +0.026 pp |
| 1883 | 0.787 | −0.027 pp |
| 1882 | 0.813 | −0.01 pp |
| 1881 | 0.823 | −0.01 pp |
| 1880 | 0.833 | +0.003 pp |
| 1879 | 0.831 | −0.009 pp |
| 1878 | 0.84 | −0.01 pp |
| 1877 | 0.85 | −0.012 pp |
| 1876 | 0.862 | +0.066 pp |
| 1875 | 0.796 | +0.046 pp |
| 1874 | 0.749 | −0.012 pp |
| 1873 | 0.761 | −0.012 pp |
| 1872 | 0.773 | −0.009 pp |
| 1871 | 0.782 | −0.004 pp |
| 1870 | 0.786 | −0.01 pp |
| 1869 | 0.797 | −0.009 pp |
| 1868 | 0.806 | −0.011 pp |
| 1867 | 0.817 | −0.012 pp |
| 1866 | 0.829 | +0.026 pp |
| 1865 | 0.803 | −0.007 pp |
| 1864 | 0.81 | −0.008 pp |
| 1863 | 0.817 | −0.009 pp |
| 1862 | 0.827 | −0.01 pp |
| 1861 | 0.836 | −0.009 pp |
| 1860 | 0.845 | −0.011 pp |
| 1859 | 0.856 | −0.009 pp |
| 1858 | 0.865 | −0.009 pp |
| 1857 | 0.874 | −0.009 pp |
| 1856 | 0.883 | +0.015 pp |
| 1855 | 0.868 | +0.018 pp |
| 1854 | 0.851 | +0.015 pp |
| 1853 | 0.835 | +0.016 pp |
| 1852 | 0.819 | +0.014 pp |
| 1851 | 0.805 | +0.014 pp |
| 1850 | 0.791 | +0.015 pp |
| 1849 | 0.776 | +0.019 pp |
| 1848 | 0.757 | +0.019 pp |
| 1847 | 0.738 | −0 pp |
| 1846 | 0.738 | −0.007 pp |
| 1845 | 0.744 | −0.007 pp |
| 1844 | 0.752 | −0.008 pp |
| 1843 | 0.759 | −0.103 pp |
| 1842 | 0.863 | −0.128 pp |
| 1841 | 0.991 | −0.114 pp |
| 1840 | 1.105 | −0.134 pp |
| 1839 | 1.239 | +0.128 pp |
| 1838 | 1.112 | +0.035 pp |
| 1837 | 1.077 | +0.369 pp |
| 1836 | 0.707 | −0.006 pp |
| 1835 | 0.713 | −0.002 pp |
| 1834 | 0.715 | −0.201 pp |
| 1833 | 0.916 | −0.205 pp |
| 1832 | 1.121 | −0.199 pp |
| 1831 | 1.32 | −0.2 pp |
| 1830 | 1.521 | — |
The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages
Military personnel on active duty as a percent of the entire population of the country. The indicator answers the question of how large the armed forces are relative to the size of the country — an army that is large in absolute numbers in a large country can come out smaller by this measure than the small army of a small state.
Important: A close indicator — the share of the labor force — answers a different question: what part of those able to work is occupied in the army instead of the economy. In countries with young populations the two diverge noticeably.
Source: Military Expenditure Database (SIPRI), license SIPRI terms of use.
A long historical series on the personnel of armies — since 1816, that is, over two centuries.
Defense Armed forces as a share of the labor forceWhat part of a country’s labor force serves in the army instead of working in the economy.
Defense Armed forces personnelThe number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.
Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)The share of GDP a country spends on defense.
Defense Military expenditure in dollarsThe absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.
Defense Military expenditure share of the budgetWhat part of government spending goes to defense.
