Australia vs Switzerland: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population

Australia
0.2%
in 2020
Switzerland
0.2%
in 2020
Australia rank
110th
Switzerland rank
112th

Armed forces personnel as a share of total population over time

  • Australia
  • Switzerland
00.511.5198520022020

How they compare

Australia currently reports 0.2% against 0.2% in Switzerland, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Australia ahead.

Australia ranks 110th and Switzerland ranks 112th of 173 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Australia averaged higher in 2 and Switzerland in 3.

Head to head by decade

Decade Australia Switzerland Difference Ahead
1980s 0.4% 0.3% 0.1% Australia
1990s 0.3% 0.4% 0.1% Switzerland
2000s 0.3% 0.4% 0.2% Switzerland
2010s 0.2% 0.3% 0.0% Switzerland
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% Australia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of total population, Australia or Switzerland?
Australia, at 0.2% against 0.2% in Switzerland as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of total population between Australia and Switzerland?
0.0%, with Australia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and Switzerland?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Australia and Switzerland rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Australia ranks 110th and Switzerland ranks 112th of 173 countries.
Where does this data come from?
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Individual pages

About this data

Indicator
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population
Unit
%
Source
The Military Balance - International Institute for Strategic Studies, via World Bank (2026); Population based on various sources (2024) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
173 places, 5,352 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

Armed forces personnel are active duty military personnel, including paramilitary forces if their training, organization, equipment, and control suggest they may be used to support or replace regular military forces.