Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Bahrain
Bahrain: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 1.3% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Bahrain, 1985–2020
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. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Bahrain is 1.3%, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Bahrain peaked at 3.4% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.7%, in 1985.
Bahrain ranks 13th of 173 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Bahrain, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.7% | — |
| 1989 | 1.0% | +54.5% |
| 1990 | 1.6% | +54.6% |
| 1991 | 1.5% | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 1.3% | -15.0% |
| 1993 | 1.2% | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 1.4% | +11.3% |
| 1995 | 3.4% | +143.6% |
| 1996 | 3.3% | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 3.3% | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 3.2% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 3.2% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 3.0% | -4.3% |
| 2002 | 2.8% | -8.3% |
| 2003 | 2.6% | -5.1% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -8.6% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | -6.6% |
| 2006 | 1.9% | -15.2% |
| 2007 | 1.8% | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 1.7% | -5.6% |
| 2009 | 1.6% | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 1.6% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 1.6% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 1.6% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | -3.3% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | -4.2% |
| 2015 | 1.4% | -4.1% |
| 2016 | 1.4% | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | -5.8% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.3% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | +0.2% |
Bahrain compared with similar countries
- Bahrain's 1.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.5%, 2.8× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Bahrain's 1.3% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 0.7%, 1.7× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Bahrain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | +143.6% | 1.4% | 3.4% |
| 1989 | +54.5% | 0.7% | 1.0% |
| 1990 | +54.6% | 1.0% | 1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.4% | 1.2% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.3% | 1.6% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bahrain
More reference data data for Bahrain
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.001 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0108 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0191 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 0.0191 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.0034 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.0013 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.0528 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 0.0873 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Bahrain?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Bahrain was 1.3% in 2020, according to 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.
- What is the highest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Bahrain?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Bahrain?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.7% in 1985.
- How does Bahrain rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Bahrain ranks 13th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Bahrain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bahrain data come from?
- The figures 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 part of Armed forces personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.