Armed forces as a share of the population — all countries

Armed forces as a share of the population — Low-income countries

Armed forces as a share of the population in low-income countries in 2022 — 0.409%. Since 1961, the indicator has fallen by 0.194 pp.

2022 0.409% +0.05 pp vs 2021
World rank
Period maximum 0.873%1990
Period minimum 0.36%2021

Trend over time

1961–2022 · % of population

Armed forces as a share of the population — Low-income countries, 1961–20220.20.40.60.8119611968197519821989199620032010201720221961: 0.604%1963: 0.557%1965: 0.536%1967: 0.526%1969: 0.525%1971: 0.543%1973: 0.549%1975: 0.602%1977: 0.699%1979: 0.729%1981: 0.742%1983: 0.795%1985: 0.742%1987: 0.769%1989: 0.797%1991: 0.805%1993: 0.697%1995: 0.653%1997: 0.619%1999: 0.696%2001: 0.662%2003: 0.577%2005: 0.54%2007: 0.487%2009: 0.455%2011: 0.464%2013: 0.481%2015: 0.449%2017: 0.417%2019: 0.395%2021: 0.36%2022: 0.409%
Change over the period: −0.194 pp Annual average: 0 pp

Comparison, 2022

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Low-income countries

Low-income countries 0.409%
World computed 0.259%
Armed forces as a share of the population — Low-income countries, by year Low-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 0.409 +0.05 pp
2021 0.36 −0.031 pp
2020 0.391 −0.004 pp
2019 0.395 −0.011 pp
2018 0.406 −0.011 pp
2017 0.417 −0.002 pp
2016 0.419 −0.031 pp
2015 0.449 −0.02 pp
2014 0.469 −0.011 pp
2013 0.481 +0.007 pp
2012 0.474 +0.01 pp
2011 0.464 +0.007 pp
2010 0.457 +0.002 pp
2009 0.455 −0.025 pp
2008 0.479 −0.008 pp
2007 0.487 −0.01 pp
2006 0.497 −0.043 pp
2005 0.54 −0.031 pp
2004 0.571 −0.006 pp
2003 0.577 −0.035 pp
2002 0.612 −0.05 pp
2001 0.662 −0.087 pp
2000 0.749 +0.054 pp
1999 0.696 +0.085 pp
1998 0.611 −0.008 pp
1997 0.619 −0.021 pp
1996 0.64 −0.014 pp
1995 0.653 +0.003 pp
1994 0.65 −0.047 pp
1993 0.697 −0.051 pp
1992 0.748 −0.057 pp
1991 0.805 −0.068 pp
1990 0.873 +0.077 pp
1989 0.797 +0.059 pp
1988 0.737 −0.031 pp
1987 0.769 −0.009 pp
1986 0.778 +0.035 pp
1985 0.742 +0.001 pp
1984 0.742 −0.054 pp
1983 0.795 +0.025 pp
1982 0.77 +0.028 pp
1981 0.742 +0.029 pp
1980 0.712 −0.017 pp
1979 0.729 +0.018 pp
1978 0.71 +0.012 pp
1977 0.699 +0.081 pp
1976 0.618 +0.016 pp
1975 0.602 +0.059 pp
1974 0.543 −0.006 pp
1973 0.549 +0.003 pp
1972 0.546 +0.003 pp
1971 0.543 +0.019 pp
1970 0.524 −0.001 pp
1969 0.525 +0.008 pp
1968 0.516 −0.01 pp
1967 0.526 −0.003 pp
1966 0.529 −0.008 pp
1965 0.536 −0.009 pp
1964 0.546 −0.012 pp
1963 0.557 +0.035 pp
1962 0.522 −0.082 pp
1961 0.604

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.