Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States
United States: Armed forces personnel, total, per capita was 0.0042 units per person in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
United States 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 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 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, year by year
| 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% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 0.0042 units per person is below the median for high income countries, which is 0.0045 units per person, 94% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More public sector data for United States
- 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 745.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 3.56 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 52.65 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States?
- Armed forces personnel, total, per capita in United States 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?
- 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?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0042 units per person in 2016.
- How does United States rank for armed forces personnel, total, per capita?
- United States ranks 74th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, per capita rising or falling in United States?
- 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 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.