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Armed forces as a share of the population — all countries

Armed forces as a share of the population — Bulgaria

Armed forces as a share of the population in Bulgaria in 2022 — 0.542%. Ranked 30 in the world out of 189. Since 1908, the indicator has fallen by 0.868 pp.

2022 0.542% +0.004 pp vs 2021
World rank 30of 189
Period maximum 16.804%1918
Period minimum 0.32%1938

Trend over time

1908–2022 · % of population

Armed forces as a share of the population — Bulgaria, 1908–202205101520190819201932194419561968198019922004201620221908: 1.41%1910: 1.346%1912: 1.377%1914: 1.072%1916: 16%1918: 16.804%1920: 0.415%1922: 0.4%1924: 0.384%1926: 0.369%1928: 0.358%1930: 0.349%1932: 0.34%1934: 0.331%1936: 0.325%1938: 0.32%1940: 2.571%1945: 0.562%1947: 1.856%1949: 2.543%1951: 2.756%1953: 2.546%1955: 2.84%1957: 2.509%1959: 1.834%1961: 1.662%1963: 2.265%1965: 2.17%1967: 2.118%1969: 2.075%1971: 2.214%1973: 2.053%1975: 2.007%1977: 2.113%1979: 2.119%1981: 2.114%1983: 2.114%1985: 2.109%1987: 2.129%1989: 1.669%1991: 1.191%1993: 0.614%1995: 1.071%1997: 0.963%1999: 0.846%2001: 0.973%2003: 0.653%2005: 0.664%2007: 0.674%2009: 0.551%2011: 0.423%2013: 0.427%2015: 0.432%2017: 0.438%2019: 0.444%2021: 0.538%2022: 0.542%
Change over the period: −0.868 pp Annual average: -0.01 pp

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Bulgaria

Bulgaria 0.542%
World computed 0.259%
Europe & Central Asia computed 0.447%
Eastern Europe computed 0.776%
Upper-middle-income countries computed 0.194%
Armed forces as a share of the population — Bulgaria, by year Bulgaria All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 0.542 +0.004 pp
2021 0.538 +0.004 pp
2020 0.534 +0.089 pp
2019 0.444 +0.003 pp
2018 0.441 +0.003 pp
2017 0.438 +0.003 pp
2016 0.435 +0.003 pp
2015 0.432 +0.003 pp
2014 0.429 +0.003 pp
2013 0.427 +0.001 pp
2012 0.426 +0.003 pp
2011 0.423 −0.051 pp
2010 0.474 −0.077 pp
2009 0.551 +0.018 pp
2008 0.533 −0.141 pp
2007 0.674 +0.005 pp
2006 0.669 +0.005 pp
2005 0.664 +0.005 pp
2004 0.658 +0.005 pp
2003 0.653 −0.211 pp
2002 0.864 −0.109 pp
2001 0.973 +0 pp
2000 0.973 +0.127 pp
1999 0.846 −0.054 pp
1998 0.9 −0.063 pp
1997 0.963 +0.006 pp
1996 0.957 −0.113 pp
1995 1.071 +0.123 pp
1994 0.947 +0.334 pp
1993 0.614 −0.545 pp
1992 1.159 −0.032 pp
1991 1.191 −0.243 pp
1990 1.435 −0.234 pp
1989 1.669 −0.113 pp
1988 1.782 −0.348 pp
1987 2.129 +0.008 pp
1986 2.121 +0.012 pp
1985 2.109 +0 pp
1984 2.109 −0.005 pp
1983 2.114 +0.006 pp
1982 2.108 −0.006 pp
1981 2.114 −0.007 pp
1980 2.121 +0.003 pp
1979 2.119 −0.003 pp
1978 2.122 +0.009 pp
1977 2.113 +0.092 pp
1976 2.021 +0.014 pp
1975 2.007 +0.002 pp
1974 2.005 −0.048 pp
1973 2.053 −0.151 pp
1972 2.204 −0.01 pp
1971 2.214 +0.153 pp
1970 2.061 −0.014 pp
1969 2.075 −0.016 pp
1968 2.091 −0.027 pp
1967 2.118 −0.013 pp
1966 2.131 −0.039 pp
1965 2.17 −0.015 pp
1964 2.186 −0.08 pp
1963 2.265 +0.581 pp
1962 1.685 +0.023 pp
1961 1.662 +0.162 pp
1960 1.5 −0.334 pp
1959 1.834 −0.327 pp
1958 2.161 −0.349 pp
1957 2.509 −0.012 pp
1956 2.521 −0.319 pp
1955 2.84 −0.029 pp
1954 2.869 +0.324 pp
1953 2.546 −0.066 pp
1952 2.612 −0.144 pp
1951 2.756 −0.127 pp
1950 2.882 +0.339 pp
1949 2.543 +0.341 pp
1948 2.202 +0.346 pp
1947 1.856 +0.341 pp
1946 1.514 +0.952 pp
1945 0.562 −5.979 pp
1944 6.541 —
1940 2.571 +1.808 pp
1939 0.763 +0.443 pp
1938 0.32 −0.003 pp
1937 0.323 −0.003 pp
1936 0.325 −0.003 pp
1935 0.328 −0.003 pp
1934 0.331 −0.004 pp
1933 0.336 −0.005 pp
1932 0.34 −0.004 pp
1931 0.344 −0.005 pp
1930 0.349 −0.004 pp
1929 0.353 −0.004 pp
1928 0.358 −0.005 pp
1927 0.363 −0.006 pp
1926 0.369 −0.008 pp
1925 0.377 −0.007 pp
1924 0.384 −0.008 pp
1923 0.392 −0.008 pp
1922 0.4 −0.008 pp
1921 0.408 −0.007 pp
1920 0.415 +0.027 pp
1919 0.388 −16.416 pp
1918 16.804 +16.051 pp
1917 0.752 −15.248 pp
1916 16 +15 pp
1915 1 −0.072 pp
1914 1.072 −12.083 pp
1913 13.156 +11.779 pp
1912 1.377 −0.019 pp
1911 1.396 +0.05 pp
1910 1.346 −0.068 pp
1909 1.413 +0.003 pp
1908 1.41 —

Eastern Europe, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

UA Ukraine 1.676 RU Russia 0.817 BG Bulgaria 0.542 BY Belarus 0.523 RO Romania 0.376 HU Hungary 0.33 SK Slovakia 0.329 PL Poland 0.297 CZ Czechia 0.253 MD Moldova 0.164
Full table for all countries

About the indicator

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.

Other indicators for Bulgaria

Defense Armed forces personnel since 1816

A long historical series on the personnel of armies — since 1816, that is, over two centuries.

Bulgaria by year Defense Armed forces as a share of the labor force

What part of a country’s labor force serves in the army instead of working in the economy.

Bulgaria by year Defense Armed forces personnel

The number of active-duty military personnel and paramilitary forces.

Bulgaria by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Bulgaria by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Bulgaria by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Bulgaria by year
All indicators for Bulgaria