Armed forces as a share of the population in the United Kingdom in 2022 — 0.22%. Ranked 99 in the world out of 189. Since 1816, the indicator has fallen by 1.086 pp.
1816–2022 · % of population
How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: United Kingdom
| Year | % | Change, pp |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 0.22 | −0.006 pp |
| 2021 | 0.226 | +0.006 pp |
| 2020 | 0.22 | −0.001 pp |
| 2019 | 0.221 | −0.004 pp |
| 2018 | 0.225 | −0.004 pp |
| 2017 | 0.229 | −0.007 pp |
| 2016 | 0.236 | −0.008 pp |
| 2015 | 0.243 | −0.017 pp |
| 2014 | 0.26 | +0.003 pp |
| 2013 | 0.257 | −0.02 pp |
| 2012 | 0.277 | −0.008 pp |
| 2011 | 0.285 | +0.003 pp |
| 2010 | 0.282 | +0.023 pp |
| 2009 | 0.259 | −0.036 pp |
| 2008 | 0.295 | −0.018 pp |
| 2007 | 0.313 | −0.045 pp |
| 2006 | 0.358 | +0.016 pp |
| 2005 | 0.342 | −0.007 pp |
| 2004 | 0.348 | −0.008 pp |
| 2003 | 0.357 | +0.003 pp |
| 2002 | 0.353 | −0.004 pp |
| 2001 | 0.357 | −0.003 pp |
| 2000 | 0.36 | −0.011 pp |
| 1999 | 0.371 | −0.001 pp |
| 1998 | 0.372 | −0.003 pp |
| 1997 | 0.375 | −0.001 pp |
| 1996 | 0.376 | −0.022 pp |
| 1995 | 0.398 | −0.043 pp |
| 1994 | 0.44 | −0.026 pp |
| 1993 | 0.466 | −0.039 pp |
| 1992 | 0.505 | −0.016 pp |
| 1991 | 0.521 | −0.014 pp |
| 1990 | 0.535 | −0.019 pp |
| 1989 | 0.554 | −0.012 pp |
| 1988 | 0.567 | −0.008 pp |
| 1987 | 0.575 | −0.007 pp |
| 1986 | 0.582 | −0.007 pp |
| 1985 | 0.589 | −0.005 pp |
| 1984 | 0.595 | +0.004 pp |
| 1983 | 0.591 | −0.004 pp |
| 1982 | 0.595 | −0.01 pp |
| 1981 | 0.605 | +0.019 pp |
| 1980 | 0.586 | +0.01 pp |
| 1979 | 0.576 | +0.006 pp |
| 1978 | 0.57 | −0.011 pp |
| 1977 | 0.58 | −0.019 pp |
| 1976 | 0.599 | −0.019 pp |
| 1975 | 0.619 | −0.019 pp |
| 1974 | 0.638 | −0.032 pp |
| 1973 | 0.671 | +0.011 pp |
| 1972 | 0.66 | −0.002 pp |
| 1971 | 0.662 | −0.039 pp |
| 1970 | 0.701 | −0.002 pp |
| 1969 | 0.703 | −0.039 pp |
| 1968 | 0.743 | −0.031 pp |
| 1967 | 0.773 | −0.004 pp |
| 1966 | 0.778 | −0.004 pp |
| 1965 | 0.782 | −0.024 pp |
| 1964 | 0.806 | −0.033 pp |
| 1963 | 0.839 | −0.052 pp |
| 1962 | 0.891 | −0.008 pp |
| 1961 | 0.9 | −0.091 pp |
| 1960 | 0.991 | −0.093 pp |
| 1959 | 1.084 | −0.1 pp |
| 1958 | 1.184 | −0.175 pp |
| 1957 | 1.36 | −0.121 pp |
| 1956 | 1.48 | −0.1 pp |
| 1955 | 1.58 | −0.064 pp |
| 1954 | 1.644 | −0.057 pp |
| 1953 | 1.701 | −0.018 pp |
| 1952 | 1.719 | +0.086 pp |
| 1951 | 1.634 | +0.272 pp |
| 1950 | 1.361 | −0.169 pp |
| 1949 | 1.53 | −0.163 pp |
| 1948 | 1.693 | −0.936 pp |
| 1947 | 2.629 | −1.542 pp |
| 1946 | 4.171 | −6.178 pp |
| 1945 | 10.349 | +0.353 pp |
| 1944 | 9.997 | +1.501 pp |
| 1943 | 8.496 | +1.492 pp |
| 1942 | 7.004 | +2.234 pp |
| 1941 | 4.77 | +2.655 pp |
| 1940 | 2.115 | +1.29 pp |
| 1939 | 0.825 | +0.048 pp |
| 1938 | 0.777 | +0.037 pp |
| 1937 | 0.74 | +0.026 pp |
| 1936 | 0.714 | +0.029 pp |
| 1935 | 0.685 | +0.003 pp |
| 1934 | 0.681 | +0.002 pp |
| 1933 | 0.679 | −0.005 pp |
| 1932 | 0.684 | −0.008 pp |
| 1931 | 0.692 | −0.001 pp |
| 1930 | 0.693 | −0.018 pp |
| 1929 | 0.712 | −0.012 pp |
| 1928 | 0.724 | −0.021 pp |
| 1927 | 0.745 | −0.009 pp |
| 1926 | 0.754 | −0.005 pp |
| 1925 | 0.759 | +0.009 pp |
| 1924 | 0.75 | −0.005 pp |
| 1923 | 0.756 | −0.074 pp |
| 1922 | 0.829 | −0.12 pp |
| 1921 | 0.95 | −0.333 pp |
| 1920 | 1.282 | −1.706 pp |
| 1919 | 2.989 | −6.803 pp |
| 1918 | 9.792 | −0.443 pp |
| 1917 | 10.236 | — |
| 1915 | 9.812 | +8.657 pp |
| 1914 | 1.155 | −0.012 pp |
| 1913 | 1.168 | +0.017 pp |
| 1912 | 1.151 | +0.321 pp |
| 1911 | 0.83 | +0.002 pp |
| 1910 | 0.828 | −0.028 pp |
| 1909 | 0.856 | +0.031 pp |
| 1908 | 0.825 | −0.019 pp |
| 1907 | 0.844 | −0.042 pp |
| 1906 | 0.886 | −0.031 pp |
| 1905 | 0.917 | −0.043 pp |
| 1904 | 0.96 | −0.025 pp |
| 1903 | 0.985 | −0.183 pp |
| 1902 | 1.167 | −0.087 pp |
| 1901 | 1.254 | +0.071 pp |
| 1900 | 1.183 | +0.372 pp |
| 1899 | 0.812 | −0.008 pp |
| 1898 | 0.82 | +0.022 pp |
| 1897 | 0.798 | +0.002 pp |
| 1896 | 0.795 | +0.008 pp |
| 1895 | 0.788 | +0.011 pp |
| 1894 | 0.777 | +0.013 pp |
| 1893 | 0.764 | +0.009 pp |
| 1892 | 0.755 | +0.012 pp |
| 1891 | 0.743 | +0.002 pp |
| 1890 | 0.742 | +0.002 pp |
| 1889 | 0.74 | −0.001 pp |
| 1888 | 0.74 | −0.006 pp |
| 1887 | 0.746 | +0.016 pp |
| 1886 | 0.73 | +0.019 pp |
| 1885 | 0.711 | +0.039 pp |
| 1884 | 0.672 | −0.002 pp |
| 1883 | 0.674 | −0.027 pp |
| 1882 | 0.702 | −0.005 pp |
| 1881 | 0.707 | −0.009 pp |
| 1880 | 0.716 | −0.042 pp |
| 1879 | 0.758 | −0.011 pp |
| 1878 | 0.769 | +0.021 pp |
| 1877 | 0.748 | +0.013 pp |
| 1876 | 0.735 | −0.011 pp |
| 1875 | 0.746 | −0.017 pp |
| 1874 | 0.763 | −0.02 pp |
| 1873 | 0.783 | −0.014 pp |
| 1872 | 0.797 | +0.033 pp |
| 1871 | 0.764 | −0.058 pp |
| 1870 | 0.822 | −0.049 pp |
| 1869 | 0.872 | −0.038 pp |
| 1868 | 0.909 | −0.022 pp |
| 1867 | 0.931 | −0.018 pp |
| 1866 | 0.949 | −0.04 pp |
| 1865 | 0.989 | +0.012 pp |
| 1864 | 0.977 | −0.082 pp |
| 1863 | 1.059 | +0.016 pp |
| 1862 | 1.043 | −0.048 pp |
| 1861 | 1.091 | −0.115 pp |
| 1860 | 1.206 | +0.104 pp |
| 1859 | 1.102 | +0.073 pp |
| 1858 | 1.029 | +0.064 pp |
| 1857 | 0.965 | −0.399 pp |
| 1856 | 1.364 | +0.181 pp |
| 1855 | 1.183 | +0.336 pp |
| 1854 | 0.846 | +0.073 pp |
| 1853 | 0.773 | +0.041 pp |
| 1852 | 0.732 | +0.009 pp |
| 1851 | 0.723 | −0.007 pp |
| 1850 | 0.73 | −0.002 pp |
| 1849 | 0.732 | −0.015 pp |
| 1848 | 0.748 | +0.058 pp |
| 1847 | 0.69 | +0.008 pp |
| 1846 | 0.682 | +0.041 pp |
| 1845 | 0.641 | −0.031 pp |
| 1844 | 0.672 | +0.092 pp |
| 1843 | 0.58 | −0.102 pp |
| 1842 | 0.681 | +0.035 pp |
| 1841 | 0.647 | +0.012 pp |
| 1840 | 0.634 | +0.027 pp |
| 1839 | 0.607 | +0.009 pp |
| 1838 | 0.598 | +0.041 pp |
| 1837 | 0.557 | −0.007 pp |
| 1836 | 0.565 | +0.024 pp |
| 1835 | 0.541 | −0.01 pp |
| 1834 | 0.551 | −0.034 pp |
| 1833 | 0.585 | −0.01 pp |
| 1832 | 0.595 | −0.027 pp |
| 1831 | 0.622 | +0.034 pp |
| 1830 | 0.588 | −0.042 pp |
| 1829 | 0.63 | −0.039 pp |
| 1828 | 0.668 | −0.009 pp |
| 1827 | 0.678 | +0.018 pp |
| 1826 | 0.66 | +0.068 pp |
| 1825 | 0.592 | −0.008 pp |
| 1824 | 0.601 | +0.024 pp |
| 1823 | 0.577 | −0.009 pp |
| 1822 | 0.586 | −0.076 pp |
| 1821 | 0.662 | −0.034 pp |
| 1820 | 0.696 | −0.005 pp |
| 1819 | 0.701 | −0.159 pp |
| 1818 | 0.86 | −0.098 pp |
| 1817 | 0.959 | −0.347 pp |
| 1816 | 1.306 | — |
The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages
Lithuania
0.816
Estonia
0.519
Norway
0.458
Latvia
0.372
Finland
0.341
Denmark
0.254
United Kingdom
0.22
Ireland
0.157
Sweden
0.143
Iceland
0
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.