Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North America

North America: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita was 0.004 units per person in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.004 units per person
Change on year
up 0.0%
Rank
19th
of 43 groups
All-time high
0.0085 units per person
in 1989
All-time low
0.0039 units per person
in 2016
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North America, 1985–2020

00.0020.0040.0060.0081985200220201985: 0.008 units per person1989: 0.008 units per person1990: 0.008 units per person1991: 0.008 units per person1992: 0.007 units per person1993: 0.007 units per person1994: 0.006 units per person1995: 0.006 units per person1996: 0.006 units per person1997: 0.005 units per person1998: 0.005 units per person1999: 0.005 units per person2000: 0.005 units per person2001: 0.005 units per person2002: 0.005 units per person2003: 0.005 units per person2004: 0.005 units per person2005: 0.005 units per person2006: 0.005 units per person2007: 0.005 units per person2008: 0.005 units per person2009: 0.005 units per person2010: 0.005 units per person2011: 0.005 units per person2012: 0.004 units per person2013: 0.004 units per person2014: 0.004 units per person2015: 0.004 units per person2016: 0.004 units per person2017: 0.004 units per person2018: 0.004 units per person2019: 0.004 units per person2020: 0.004 units per person

Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.

Analysis

The most recent figure for armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North America is 0.004 units per person, measured in 2020.

The figure is down 16.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North America peaked at 0.0085 units per person in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.0039 units per person, in 2016.

North America ranks 19th of 43 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.

Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North America, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North America, 1985 to 2020.
Year units per person Change
1985 0.0085 units per person
1989 0.0085 units per person +0.3%
1990 0.0082 units per person -3.8%
1991 0.0078 units per person -4.0%
1992 0.007 units per person -10.5%
1993 0.0066 units per person -6.5%
1994 0.0061 units per person -6.5%
1995 0.0058 units per person -5.8%
1996 0.0055 units per person -4.6%
1997 0.0053 units per person -3.9%
1998 0.0054 units per person +2.4%
1999 0.0053 units per person -2.2%
2000 0.0049 units per person -8.4%
2001 0.0047 units per person -3.4%
2002 0.0048 units per person +1.8%
2003 0.0048 units per person -0.0%
2004 0.0048 units per person -0.8%
2005 0.0049 units per person +3.8%
2006 0.0047 units per person -4.3%
2007 0.0048 units per person +2.7%
2008 0.0048 units per person -1.9%
2009 0.0048 units per person +0.7%
2010 0.0048 units per person -0.5%
2011 0.0046 units per person -3.8%
2012 0.0045 units per person -2.5%
2013 0.0043 units per person -4.6%
2014 0.0041 units per person -3.9%
2015 0.004 units per person -3.3%
2016 0.0039 units per person -0.7%
2017 0.0039 units per person +0.3%
2018 0.004 units per person +0.8%
2019 0.004 units per person -0.1%
2020 0.004 units per person +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.0085 units per person 0.0085 units per person 0.0085 units per person 2
1990s 0.0063 units per person 0.0053 units per person 0.0082 units per person 10
2000s 0.0048 units per person 0.0047 units per person 0.0049 units per person 10
2010s 0.0042 units per person 0.0039 units per person 0.0048 units per person 10
2020s 0.004 units per person 0.004 units per person 0.004 units per person 1

Countries ranked near North America

  1. 16 Djibouti 0.0118 units per person compare
  2. 17 Cambodia 0.0114 units per person compare
  3. 18 Republic of Korea 0.011 units per person compare
  4. 19 Iraq 0.0109 units per person compare
  5. 20 Jordan 0.0107 units per person compare
  6. 21 Oman 0.0104 units per person compare
  7. 22 Singapore 0.0104 units per person compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for North America

All data for North America →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North America?
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North America was 0.004 units per person in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in North America?
The highest recorded value was 0.0085 units per person in 1989.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in North America?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0039 units per person in 2016.
How does North America rank for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
North America ranks 19th out of 43 groups with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, per capita rising or falling in North America?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this North America 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.

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Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in North America. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-per-capita/north-america/

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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

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

Indicator
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita
Unit
units per person
Source
Statizoid (derived)
Licence
Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page
Coverage
219 places, 6,823 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

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.