Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brazil
Brazil: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brazil, 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 Brazil is 0.4%, measured in 2020.
The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brazil peaked at 0.4% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1994.
That places Brazil 84th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
More reference data data for Brazil
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2659 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.0006 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0351 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3721 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.1099 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 234.41 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brazil?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brazil was 0.4% 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 Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 1995.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1994.
- How does Brazil rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Brazil ranks 84th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brazil 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.