Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre was 0.6324 units per square kilometre in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in United Kingdom, 1985–2020
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per square kilometre.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 0.6324 units per square kilometre for armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in 2020.
That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and down 12.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in United Kingdom peaked at 1.38 units per square kilometre in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.6117 units per square kilometre, in 2017.
United Kingdom ranks 47th 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 square kilometre in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | units per square kilometre | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1.38 units per square kilometre | — |
| 1989 | 1.31 units per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 1990 | 1.27 units per square kilometre | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 1.24 units per square kilometre | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 1.21 units per square kilometre | -2.7% |
| 1993 | 1.12 units per square kilometre | -7.5% |
| 1994 | 1.06 units per square kilometre | -5.2% |
| 1995 | 0.9631 units per square kilometre | -9.3% |
| 1996 | 0.9135 units per square kilometre | -5.2% |
| 1997 | 0.9011 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 0.9011 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.9011 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 0.8784 units per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 0.8738 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 0.8697 units per square kilometre | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 0.8788 units per square kilometre | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 0.8474 units per square kilometre | -3.6% |
| 2005 | 0.897 units per square kilometre | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 0.7481 units per square kilometre | -16.6% |
| 2007 | 0.6613 units per square kilometre | -11.6% |
| 2008 | 0.6613 units per square kilometre | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.7377 units per square kilometre | +11.5% |
| 2010 | 0.7193 units per square kilometre | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 0.6847 units per square kilometre | -4.8% |
| 2012 | 0.6992 units per square kilometre | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 0.6578 units per square kilometre | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 0.6394 units per square kilometre | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 0.6297 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 0.621 units per square kilometre | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 0.6117 units per square kilometre | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 0.6136 units per square kilometre | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 0.6159 units per square kilometre | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 0.6324 units per square kilometre | +2.7% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 0.6324 units per square kilometre is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.3775 units per square kilometre, 1.7× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 0.6324 units per square kilometre is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.3778 units per square kilometre, 1.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.35 units per square kilometre | 1.31 units per square kilometre | 1.38 units per square kilometre | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.05 units per square kilometre | 0.9011 units per square kilometre | 1.27 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.8053 units per square kilometre | 0.6613 units per square kilometre | 0.897 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.6492 units per square kilometre | 0.6117 units per square kilometre | 0.7193 units per square kilometre | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.6324 units per square kilometre | 0.6324 units per square kilometre | 0.6324 units per square kilometre | 1 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 44 Myanmar 0.7094 units per square kilometre compare
- 45 Turkey 0.6653 units per square kilometre compare
- 46 North Macedonia 0.6344 units per square kilometre compare
- 48 Poland 0.6174 units per square kilometre compare
- 49 Lithuania 0.5909 units per square kilometre compare
- 50 Portugal 0.5677 units per square kilometre compare
More public sector data for United Kingdom
- 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 609.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 9.28 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 36.23 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in United Kingdom?
- Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre in United Kingdom was 0.6324 units per square kilometre in 2020, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 1.38 units per square kilometre in 1985.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6117 units per square kilometre in 2017.
- How does United Kingdom rank for armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre?
- United Kingdom ranks 47th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Armed forces personnel, total, per square kilometre. 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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Armed forces personnel, total ÷ Land area (sq. km)
Computed from
- Armed forces personnel, total The Military Balance, International Institute for Strategic Studies
- Land area FAOSTAT, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
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 Land area (sq. km), matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.