Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Benin
Benin: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Benin, 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
Benin recorded 0.1% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and up 24.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Benin peaked at 0.1% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2004.
That places Benin 153rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.1% | — |
| 1989 | 0.1% | -1.6% |
| 1990 | 0.1% | +16.4% |
| 1991 | 0.1% | +13.1% |
| 1992 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 1993 | 0.1% | +9.3% |
| 1994 | 0.1% | -3.7% |
| 1995 | 0.1% | -10.7% |
| 1996 | 0.1% | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 1998 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 1999 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2000 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2001 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2002 | 0.1% | -5.7% |
| 2003 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 0.1% | -18.0% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | +29.1% |
| 2007 | 0.1% | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 0.1% | -3.0% |
| 2009 | 0.1% | -12.1% |
| 2010 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 0.1% | +26.5% |
| 2012 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 0.1% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 0.1% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 0.1% | +19.6% |
| 2018 | 0.1% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 0.1% | -4.7% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -2.6% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 0.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.2%, 42% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Benin's 0.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1%, 71% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Benin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +29.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
| 2011 | +26.5% | 0.1% | 0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More reference data data for Benin
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1979 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1562 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6635 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.5244 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.56 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 10.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.8505 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Benin?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Benin was 0.1% 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 Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1% in 1993.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2004.
- How does Benin rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Benin ranks 153rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin 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.