Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States of America

United States of America: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita was 0.0042 units per person in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.0042 units per person
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
74th
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.0091 units per person
in 1989
All-time low
0.0042 units per person
in 2016
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States of America, 1985–2020

00.0020.0040.0060.0080.011985200220201985: 0.009 units per person1989: 0.009 units per person1990: 0.009 units per person1991: 0.008 units per person1992: 0.007 units per person1993: 0.007 units per person1994: 0.007 units per person1995: 0.006 units per person1996: 0.006 units per person1997: 0.006 units per person1998: 0.006 units per person1999: 0.006 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: 0.005 units per person2013: 0.005 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

United States of America recorded 0.0042 units per person for armed forces personnel, total, per capita in 2020.

That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 17.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States of America peaked at 0.0091 units per person in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.0042 units per person, in 2016.

That places United States of America 74th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it 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 States of America, year by year

Annual values for Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States of America, 1985 to 2020.
Year units per person Change
1985 0.009 units per person
1989 0.0091 units per person +0.4%
1990 0.0087 units per person -3.8%
1991 0.0084 units per person -4.0%
1992 0.0075 units per person -10.7%
1993 0.007 units per person -6.5%
1994 0.0065 units per person -6.6%
1995 0.0061 units per person -6.0%
1996 0.0058 units per person -5.0%
1997 0.0056 units per person -3.6%
1998 0.0058 units per person +2.8%
1999 0.0056 units per person -2.3%
2000 0.0052 units per person -8.7%
2001 0.005 units per person -3.3%
2002 0.0051 units per person +2.3%
2003 0.0051 units per person +0.0%
2004 0.005 units per person -1.4%
2005 0.0052 units per person +4.0%
2006 0.005 units per person -4.0%
2007 0.0052 units per person +2.8%
2008 0.0051 units per person -1.9%
2009 0.0051 units per person +0.7%
2010 0.0051 units per person -0.5%
2011 0.0049 units per person -3.9%
2012 0.0047 units per person -2.6%
2013 0.0045 units per person -4.7%
2014 0.0043 units per person -4.4%
2015 0.0042 units per person -3.2%
2016 0.0042 units per person -0.7%
2017 0.0042 units per person +0.1%
2018 0.0042 units per person +0.9%
2019 0.0042 units per person +0.1%
2020 0.0042 units per person +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.0091 units per person 0.009 units per person 0.0091 units per person 2
1990s 0.0067 units per person 0.0056 units per person 0.0087 units per person 10
2000s 0.0051 units per person 0.005 units per person 0.0052 units per person 10
2010s 0.0044 units per person 0.0042 units per person 0.0051 units per person 10
2020s 0.0042 units per person 0.0042 units per person 0.0042 units per person 1

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 71 Paraguay 0.0044 units per person compare
  2. 72 Fiji 0.0044 units per person compare
  3. 73 Afghanistan 0.0042 units per person compare
  4. 75 Spain 0.0042 units per person compare
  5. 76 Malaysia 0.004 units per person compare
  6. 77 Pakistan 0.004 units per person compare

See the full ranking of 219 places →

More public sector data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States of America?
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States of America was 0.0042 units per person in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 0.0091 units per person in 1989.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, per capita recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0042 units per person in 2016.
How does United States of America rank for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
United States of America ranks 74th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel, total, per capita rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United States of 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 United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on Statizoid (derived). Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://public-sector.statizoid.com/stat/armed-forces-personnel-total-per-capita/united-states/

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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.