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Armed forces as a share of the population — all countries

Armed forces as a share of the population — Ireland

Armed forces as a share of the population in Ireland in 2022 — 0.157%. Ranked 123 in the world out of 189. Since 1922, the indicator has fallen by 0.571 pp.

2022 0.157% −0.022 pp vs 2021
World rank 123of 189
Period maximum 0.728%1922
Period minimum 0.157%2022

Trend over time

1922–2022 · % of population

Armed forces as a share of the population — Ireland, 1922–202200.20.40.60.8192219321942195219621972198219922002201220221922: 0.728%1924: 0.666%1926: 0.404%1928: 0.34%1930: 0.205%1932: 0.203%1934: 0.202%1936: 0.202%1938: 0.204%1940: 0.27%1942: 0.304%1944: 0.34%1946: 0.372%1948: 0.369%1950: 0.438%1952: 0.44%1954: 0.442%1956: 0.449%1958: 0.456%1960: 0.459%1962: 0.247%1964: 0.279%1966: 0.277%1968: 0.274%1970: 0.271%1972: 0.298%1974: 0.352%1976: 0.434%1978: 0.422%1980: 0.559%1982: 0.603%1984: 0.368%1986: 0.395%1988: 0.367%1990: 0.371%1992: 0.366%1994: 0.474%1996: 0.469%1998: 0.462%2000: 0.322%2002: 0.254%2004: 0.245%2006: 0.237%2008: 0.23%2010: 0.224%2012: 0.219%2014: 0.192%2016: 0.19%2018: 0.185%2020: 0.181%2022: 0.157%
Change over the period: −0.571 pp Annual average: -0.01 pp

Comparison, 2022

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

Ireland 0.157%
World computed 0.259%
Europe & Central Asia computed 0.447%
Northern Europe computed 0.251%
High-income countries computed 0.421%
Armed forces as a share of the population — Ireland, by year Ireland All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 0.157 −0.022 pp
2021 0.179 −0.002 pp
2020 0.181 −0.002 pp
2019 0.182 −0.002 pp
2018 0.185 −0.002 pp
2017 0.187 −0.003 pp
2016 0.19 −0.001 pp
2015 0.191 −0.001 pp
2014 0.192 −0 pp
2013 0.192 −0.026 pp
2012 0.219 −0.003 pp
2011 0.221 −0.003 pp
2010 0.224 −0.003 pp
2009 0.227 −0.003 pp
2008 0.23 −0.003 pp
2007 0.233 −0.004 pp
2006 0.237 −0.004 pp
2005 0.241 −0.004 pp
2004 0.245 −0.005 pp
2003 0.249 −0.005 pp
2002 0.254 −0.006 pp
2001 0.26 −0.061 pp
2000 0.322 −0.056 pp
1999 0.378 −0.084 pp
1998 0.462 −0.003 pp
1997 0.464 −0.004 pp
1996 0.469 −0.003 pp
1995 0.472 −0.002 pp
1994 0.474 +0.11 pp
1993 0.364 −0.003 pp
1992 0.366 −0.002 pp
1991 0.369 −0.002 pp
1990 0.371 +0.001 pp
1989 0.37 +0.002 pp
1988 0.367 −0.028 pp
1987 0.395 −0 pp
1986 0.395 −0 pp
1985 0.395 +0.027 pp
1984 0.368 −0.145 pp
1983 0.514 −0.09 pp
1982 0.603 +0.051 pp
1981 0.552 −0.006 pp
1980 0.559 +0.143 pp
1979 0.416 −0.007 pp
1978 0.422 +0.025 pp
1977 0.397 −0.036 pp
1976 0.434 +0.087 pp
1975 0.346 −0.006 pp
1974 0.352 +0.027 pp
1973 0.325 +0.028 pp
1972 0.298 −0.005 pp
1971 0.302 +0.031 pp
1970 0.271 −0.002 pp
1969 0.273 −0 pp
1968 0.274 −0.002 pp
1967 0.276 −0.002 pp
1966 0.277 −0.001 pp
1965 0.278 −0.001 pp
1964 0.279 −0.001 pp
1963 0.281 +0.033 pp
1962 0.247 +0.034 pp
1961 0.213 −0.246 pp
1960 0.459 +0.002 pp
1959 0.457 +0.001 pp
1958 0.456 +0.005 pp
1957 0.451 +0.002 pp
1956 0.449 +0.004 pp
1955 0.445 +0.003 pp
1954 0.442 +0.001 pp
1953 0.441 +0.001 pp
1952 0.44 +0.001 pp
1951 0.439 +0.001 pp
1950 0.438 +0.002 pp
1949 0.436 +0.068 pp
1948 0.369 −0.002 pp
1947 0.37 −0.001 pp
1946 0.372 −0.001 pp
1945 0.373 +0.033 pp
1944 0.34 +0.001 pp
1943 0.339 +0.035 pp
1942 0.304 +0.036 pp
1941 0.268 −0.003 pp
1940 0.27 −0.003 pp
1939 0.273 +0.069 pp
1938 0.204 +0.001 pp
1937 0.203 +0.001 pp
1936 0.202 +0.001 pp
1935 0.202 +0 pp
1934 0.202 −0.001 pp
1933 0.203 −0.001 pp
1932 0.203 −0.001 pp
1931 0.205 −0 pp
1930 0.205 −0.033 pp
1929 0.238 −0.101 pp
1928 0.34 −0.1 pp
1927 0.44 +0.036 pp
1926 0.404 −0.199 pp
1925 0.603 −0.063 pp
1924 0.666 +0.002 pp
1923 0.664 −0.064 pp
1922 0.728 —

Northern Europe, 2022

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

LT Lithuania 0.816 EE Estonia 0.519 NO Norway 0.458 LV Latvia 0.372 FI Finland 0.341 DK Denmark 0.254 GB United Kingdom 0.22 IE Ireland 0.157 SE Sweden 0.143 IS Iceland 0
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 Ireland

Defense Armed forces personnel since 1816

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

Ireland 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.

Ireland by year Defense Armed forces personnel

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

Ireland by year Defense Military expenditure (% of GDP)

The share of GDP a country spends on defense.

Ireland by year Defense Military expenditure in dollars

The absolute volume of defense spending in current US dollars.

Ireland by year Defense Military expenditure share of the budget

What part of government spending goes to defense.

Ireland by year
All indicators for Ireland