Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cambodia

Cambodia: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 1.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
1.1%
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
17th
of 173 countries
All-time high
3.1%
in 1997
All-time low
0.6%
in 1985
Years of data
33
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cambodia, 1985–2020

1231985200220201985: 0.579 %1989: 1.4 %1990: 1.5 %1991: 1.5 %1992: 1.7 %1993: 1.2 %1994: 0.758 %1995: 3.1 %1996: 2.8 %1997: 3.1 %1998: 3 %1999: 2.9 %2000: 2.9 %2001: 1.6 %2002: 1.5 %2003: 1.5 %2004: 1.4 %2005: 1.4 %2006: 1.4 %2007: 1.4 %2008: 1.4 %2009: 1.3 %2010: 1.3 %2011: 1.3 %2012: 1.3 %2013: 1.3 %2014: 1.2 %2015: 1.2 %2016: 1.2 %2017: 1.2 %2018: 1.2 %2019: 1.2 %2020: 1.1 %

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 Cambodia is 1.1%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and down 13.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cambodia peaked at 3.1% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 1985.

That places Cambodia 17th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.0% 0.6% 1.4% 2
1990s 2.2% 0.8% 3.1% 10
2000s 1.6% 1.3% 2.9% 10
2010s 1.2% 1.2% 1.3% 10
2020s 1.1% 1.1% 1.1% 1

Countries ranked near Cambodia

  1. 14 Syria 1.3% compare
  2. 15 Venezuela 1.2% compare
  3. 16 Djibouti 1.2% compare
  4. 18 South Korea 1.1% compare
  5. 19 Iraq 1.1% compare
  6. 20 Jordan 1.1% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Cambodia

All data for Cambodia →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cambodia?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cambodia was 1.1% 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 Cambodia?
The highest recorded value was 3.1% in 1997.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Cambodia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 1985.
How does Cambodia rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Cambodia ranks 17th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Cambodia?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Cambodia 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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CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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.