Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Ireland
Ireland: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita was 0.0018 units per person in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Ireland, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Ireland is 0.0018 units per person, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 22.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Ireland peaked at 0.0047 units per person in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.0018 units per person, in 2018.
That places Ireland 133rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Ireland, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.0039 units per person | — |
| 1989 | 0.0037 units per person | -4.4% |
| 1990 | 0.0037 units per person | -0.1% |
| 1991 | 0.0037 units per person | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 0.0037 units per person | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 0.0036 units per person | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 0.0047 units per person | +30.3% |
| 1995 | 0.0036 units per person | -24.5% |
| 1996 | 0.0035 units per person | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 0.0035 units per person | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 0.0031 units per person | -10.4% |
| 1999 | 0.0031 units per person | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 0.003 units per person | -1.3% |
| 2001 | 0.0027 units per person | -10.1% |
| 2002 | 0.0027 units per person | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 0.0026 units per person | -2.6% |
| 2004 | 0.0025 units per person | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 0.0024 units per person | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 0.0023 units per person | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 0.0023 units per person | -2.8% |
| 2008 | 0.0022 units per person | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 0.0023 units per person | +3.5% |
| 2010 | 0.0023 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 0.0019 units per person | -15.3% |
| 2012 | 0.002 units per person | +4.6% |
| 2013 | 0.002 units per person | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 0.002 units per person | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 0.0019 units per person | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 0.0019 units per person | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 0.0019 units per person | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 0.0018 units per person | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 0.0018 units per person | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 0.0018 units per person | -1.3% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 0.0018 units per person is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.0045 units per person, 40% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 0.0018 units per person is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.0046 units per person, 39% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | +30.3% | 0.0036 units per person | 0.0047 units per person |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.0038 units per person | 0.0037 units per person | 0.0039 units per person | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.0036 units per person | 0.0031 units per person | 0.0047 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.0025 units per person | 0.0022 units per person | 0.003 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.002 units per person | 0.0018 units per person | 0.0023 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.0018 units per person | 0.0018 units per person | 0.0018 units per person | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More public sector data for Ireland
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 14.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 11.86 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0001 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate -74.29 % change on previous year (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Ireland?
- Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in Ireland was 0.0018 units per person in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.0047 units per person in 1994.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0018 units per person in 2018.
- How does Ireland rank for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
- Ireland ranks 133rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, per capita rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Armed forces personnel, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Armed forces personnel, total ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Armed forces personnel, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.