Malaysia vs Pakistan: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population

Malaysia
0.4%
in 2020
Pakistan
0.4%
in 2020
Malaysia rank
76th
Pakistan rank
77th

Armed forces personnel as a share of total population over time

  • Malaysia
  • Pakistan
00.20.40.60.8198520022020

How they compare

Malaysia currently reports 0.4% against 0.4% in Pakistan, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 8 times across 33 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Malaysia ahead.

Malaysia ranks 76th and Pakistan ranks 77th of 173 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 3 and Pakistan in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malaysia Pakistan Difference Ahead
1980s 0.7% 0.5% 0.2% Malaysia
1990s 0.6% 0.5% 0.1% Malaysia
2000s 0.5% 0.5% 0.0% Pakistan
2010s 0.4% 0.4% 0.0% Pakistan
2020s 0.4% 0.4% 0.0% Malaysia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher armed forces personnel as a share of total population, Malaysia or Pakistan?
Malaysia, at 0.4% against 0.4% in Pakistan as of 2020.
What is the difference in armed forces personnel as a share of total population between Malaysia and Pakistan?
0.0%, with Malaysia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and Pakistan?
33 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2020.
How do Malaysia and Pakistan rank globally for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Malaysia ranks 76th and Pakistan ranks 77th 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.