Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita was 0.0023 units per person in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.0023 units per person
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
113th
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.0059 units per person
in 1985
All-time low
0.0022 units per person
in 2019
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1985–2020

00.0020.0040.0061985200220201985: 0.006 units per person1989: 0.006 units per person1990: 0.005 units per person1991: 0.005 units per person1992: 0.005 units per person1993: 0.005 units per person1994: 0.004 units per person1995: 0.004 units per person1996: 0.004 units per person1997: 0.004 units per person1998: 0.004 units per person1999: 0.004 units per person2000: 0.004 units per person2001: 0.004 units per person2002: 0.004 units per person2003: 0.004 units per person2004: 0.003 units per person2005: 0.004 units per person2006: 0.003 units per person2007: 0.003 units per person2008: 0.003 units per person2009: 0.003 units per person2010: 0.003 units per person2011: 0.003 units per person2012: 0.003 units per person2013: 0.002 units per person2014: 0.002 units per person2015: 0.002 units per person2016: 0.002 units per person2017: 0.002 units per person2018: 0.002 units per person2019: 0.002 units per person2020: 0.002 units per person

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

Analysis

In 2020, armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 0.0023 units per person.

The figure is up 2.5% on the previous year and down 17.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 0.0059 units per person in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.0022 units per person, in 2019.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 113th of 173 countries 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1985 to 2020.
Year units per person Change
1985 0.0059 units per person
1989 0.0056 units per person -5.7%
1990 0.0054 units per person -3.4%
1991 0.0052 units per person -2.6%
1992 0.0051 units per person -2.9%
1993 0.0047 units per person -7.7%
1994 0.0044 units per person -5.4%
1995 0.004 units per person -9.6%
1996 0.0038 units per person -5.4%
1997 0.0037 units per person -1.6%
1998 0.0037 units per person -0.3%
1999 0.0037 units per person -0.3%
2000 0.0036 units per person -2.9%
2001 0.0036 units per person -0.9%
2002 0.0035 units per person -0.9%
2003 0.0036 units per person +0.6%
2004 0.0034 units per person -4.1%
2005 0.0036 units per person +5.1%
2006 0.003 units per person -17.2%
2007 0.0026 units per person -12.3%
2008 0.0026 units per person -0.8%
2009 0.0029 units per person +10.7%
2010 0.0028 units per person -3.3%
2011 0.0026 units per person -5.6%
2012 0.0027 units per person +1.4%
2013 0.0025 units per person -6.5%
2014 0.0024 units per person -3.5%
2015 0.0023 units per person -2.2%
2016 0.0023 units per person -2.2%
2017 0.0022 units per person -2.0%
2018 0.0022 units per person -0.2%
2019 0.0022 units per person -0.1%
2020 0.0023 units per person +2.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.0057 units per person 0.0056 units per person 0.0059 units per person 2
1990s 0.0044 units per person 0.0037 units per person 0.0054 units per person 10
2000s 0.0032 units per person 0.0026 units per person 0.0036 units per person 10
2010s 0.0024 units per person 0.0022 units per person 0.0028 units per person 10
2020s 0.0023 units per person 0.0023 units per person 0.0023 units per person 1

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 110 Netherlands 0.0024 units per person compare
  2. 111 Australia 0.0023 units per person compare
  3. 112 Switzerland 0.0023 units per person compare
  4. 114 Argentina 0.0023 units per person compare
  5. 115 Republic of Moldova 0.0023 units per person compare
  6. 116 Honduras 0.0023 units per person compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 0.0023 units per person in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 0.0059 units per person in 1985.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0022 units per person in 2019.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 113th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, per capita rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.3%. 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 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-per-capita/united-kingdom/

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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.