Canada vs Ireland: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population

Canada
0.2%
in 2020
Ireland
0.2%
in 2020
Canada rank
130th
Ireland rank
132nd

Armed forces personnel as a share of total population over time

  • Canada
  • Ireland
00.10.20.30.40.5198520022020

How they compare

Canada currently reports 0.2% against 0.2% in Ireland, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Ireland ahead.

Canada ranks 130th and Ireland ranks 132nd of 173 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Canada averaged higher in 1 and Ireland in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Canada Ireland Difference Ahead
1980s 0.3% 0.4% 0.1% Ireland
1990s 0.3% 0.4% 0.1% Ireland
2000s 0.2% 0.3% 0.0% Ireland
2010s 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% Ireland
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% Canada

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of total population, Canada or Ireland?
Canada, at 0.2% against 0.2% in Ireland as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of total population between Canada and Ireland?
0.0%, with Canada ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Canada and Ireland?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Canada and Ireland rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Canada ranks 130th and Ireland ranks 132nd 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.