Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Armed forces personnel was 0.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1990–2020
Source: The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies. Measured in % of total labor force.
Analysis
In 2020, armed forces personnel in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 0.4%.
The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 18.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 1.1% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2019.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 124th out of 171 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 1.1% | — |
| 1991 | 1.0% | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 1.0% | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 1.0% | -6.8% |
| 1994 | 0.9% | -5.1% |
| 1995 | 0.8% | -9.3% |
| 1996 | 0.8% | -5.6% |
| 1997 | 0.8% | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 0.8% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 0.8% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 0.7% | -3.5% |
| 2001 | 0.7% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 0.7% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 0.7% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 0.7% | -4.3% |
| 2005 | 0.7% | +4.5% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | -17.9% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | -12.2% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 0.6% | +11.0% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | -5.5% |
| 2012 | 0.5% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -6.5% |
| 2014 | 0.5% | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 0.5% | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 0.4% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | +2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.8% | 1.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More public sector data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Arms imports 643.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 9.28 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 36.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), gaps filled 643.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per capita 1,180 current USD per person (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), per unit of GDP 0.0221 current USD per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), annual growth rate 8.58 % change on previous year (2024)
- Military expenditure (current USD), gaps filled 81.76 billion current USD (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per square kilometre 1,951 SIPRI trend indicator values per square kilometre (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Armed forces personnel in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 0.4% in 2020, according to The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.1% in 1990.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2019.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for armed forces personnel?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 124th out of 171 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies, published as part of Armed forces personnel (% of total labor force). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.