Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brunei
Brunei: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 1.8% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brunei, 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
In 2020, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brunei stood at 1.8%.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 24.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brunei peaked at 3.1% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 1993.
That places Brunei 5th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.9% | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.3% | 1.4% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.7% | 2.4% | 3.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.2% | 1.8% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Brunei
More reference data data for Brunei
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2249 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.5399 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.2563 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2101 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.3438 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 106.12 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 0 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 0 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brunei?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Brunei was 1.8% 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 Brunei?
- The highest recorded value was 3.1% in 2002.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Brunei?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 1993.
- How does Brunei rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Brunei ranks 5th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Brunei?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Brunei 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.