Armed forces as a share of the population — all countries

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

Armed forces as a share of the population in lower-middle-income countries in 2022 — 0.207%. Since 1965, the indicator has fallen by 0.132 pp.

2022 0.207% +0.013 pp vs 2021
World rank
Period maximum 0.483%1973
Period minimum 0.193%2021

Trend over time

1965–2022 · % of population

Armed forces as a share of the population — Lower-middle-income countries, 1965–20220.10.20.30.40.5196519711977198319891995200120072013201920221965: 0.339%1966: 0.362%1967: 0.391%1968: 0.398%1969: 0.414%1970: 0.418%1971: 0.468%1972: 0.472%1973: 0.483%1974: 0.478%1975: 0.465%1976: 0.401%1977: 0.372%1978: 0.369%1979: 0.359%1980: 0.343%1981: 0.349%1982: 0.342%1983: 0.327%1984: 0.344%1985: 0.337%1986: 0.343%1987: 0.341%1988: 0.366%1989: 0.353%1990: 0.319%1991: 0.324%1992: 0.319%1993: 0.317%1994: 0.298%1995: 0.286%1996: 0.282%1997: 0.28%1998: 0.261%1999: 0.249%2000: 0.253%2001: 0.255%2002: 0.251%2003: 0.251%2004: 0.241%2005: 0.231%2006: 0.23%2007: 0.229%2008: 0.223%2009: 0.219%2010: 0.22%2011: 0.216%2012: 0.214%2013: 0.206%2014: 0.203%2015: 0.201%2016: 0.201%2017: 0.197%2018: 0.195%2019: 0.196%2020: 0.198%2021: 0.193%2022: 0.207%
Change over the period: −0.132 pp Annual average: 0 pp

Comparison, 2022

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

Lower-middle-income countries 0.207%
World computed 0.259%
Armed forces as a share of the population — Lower-middle-income countries, by year Lower-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 0.207 +0.013 pp
2021 0.193 −0.004 pp
2020 0.198 +0.001 pp
2019 0.196 +0.001 pp
2018 0.195 −0.001 pp
2017 0.197 −0.004 pp
2016 0.201 −0 pp
2015 0.201 −0.003 pp
2014 0.203 −0.003 pp
2013 0.206 −0.008 pp
2012 0.214 −0.002 pp
2011 0.216 −0.003 pp
2010 0.22 +0.001 pp
2009 0.219 −0.004 pp
2008 0.223 −0.006 pp
2007 0.229 −0.001 pp
2006 0.23 −0.001 pp
2005 0.231 −0.01 pp
2004 0.241 −0.01 pp
2003 0.251 +0.001 pp
2002 0.251 −0.004 pp
2001 0.255 +0.002 pp
2000 0.253 +0.004 pp
1999 0.249 −0.012 pp
1998 0.261 −0.019 pp
1997 0.28 −0.002 pp
1996 0.282 −0.004 pp
1995 0.286 −0.012 pp
1994 0.298 −0.019 pp
1993 0.317 −0.003 pp
1992 0.319 −0.005 pp
1991 0.324 +0.006 pp
1990 0.319 −0.034 pp
1989 0.353 −0.013 pp
1988 0.366 +0.024 pp
1987 0.341 −0.001 pp
1986 0.343 +0.006 pp
1985 0.337 −0.007 pp
1984 0.344 +0.017 pp
1983 0.327 −0.016 pp
1982 0.342 −0.006 pp
1981 0.349 +0.005 pp
1980 0.343 −0.015 pp
1979 0.359 −0.01 pp
1978 0.369 −0.003 pp
1977 0.372 −0.029 pp
1976 0.401 −0.063 pp
1975 0.465 −0.013 pp
1974 0.478 −0.005 pp
1973 0.483 +0.01 pp
1972 0.472 +0.004 pp
1971 0.468 +0.05 pp
1970 0.418 +0.004 pp
1969 0.414 +0.016 pp
1968 0.398 +0.008 pp
1967 0.391 +0.029 pp
1966 0.362 +0.023 pp
1965 0.339

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.