Germany vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Armed forces personnel

Germany
0.4%
in 2020
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
0.4%
in 2020
Germany rank
126th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
124th

Armed forces personnel over time

  • Germany
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
0.40.60.811.21.4199020052020

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 0.4% against 0.4% in Germany, a difference of 0.0%.

That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.1 times Germany's.

The two have swapped places 9 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Germany ahead.

Germany ranks 126th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 124th of 171 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 2 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1990s 1.0% 0.9% 0.1% Germany
2000s 0.7% 0.6% 0.0% Germany
2010s 0.4% 0.5% 0.0% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2020s 0.4% 0.4% 0.0% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel, Germany or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 0.4% against 0.4% in Germany as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel between Germany and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
0.0%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
31 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2020.
How do Germany and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for armed forces personnel?
Germany ranks 126th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 124th of 171 countries.
Where does this data come from?
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Germany vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Armed forces personnel. Statizoid, drawing on The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/compare/armed-forces-personnel-percent-of-total-labor-force/germany/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force)
Unit
% of total labor force
Source
The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
217 places, 6,411 data points, 1990–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if the training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces. Labor force comprises all people who meet the International Labour Organization's definition of the economically active population.