Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon

Cameroon: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.1%
Change on year
down 2.7%
World rank
143rd
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.2%
in 1991
All-time low
0.1%
in 1985
Years of data
32
1985–2020

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

00.050.10.150.21985200220201985: 0.075 %1989: 0.191 %1990: 0.203 %1991: 0.206 %1992: 0.1 %1993: 0.097 %1994: 0.094 %1995: 0.181 %1996: 0.165 %1997: 0.16 %1998: 0.156 %1999: 0.152 %2000: 0.148 %2001: 0.203 %2002: 0.204 %2003: 0.199 %2004: 0.138 %2005: 0.135 %2007: 0.127 %2008: 0.124 %2009: 0.121 %2010: 0.118 %2011: 0.114 %2012: 0.111 %2013: 0.108 %2014: 0.105 %2015: 0.103 %2016: 0.1 %2017: 0.099 %2018: 0.139 %2019: 0.133 %2020: 0.13 %

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

Cameroon recorded 0.1% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020.

The figure is down 2.7% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon peaked at 0.2% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 1985.

Cameroon ranks 143rd of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 2
1990s 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% 10
2000s 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% 9
2010s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 10
2020s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 1

Countries ranked near Cameroon

  1. 140 Philippines 0.1% compare
  2. 141 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.1% compare
  3. 142 Bangladesh 0.1% compare
  4. 144 Togo 0.1% compare
  5. 145 Ethiopia 0.1% compare
  6. 146 Sierra Leone 0.1% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Cameroon

All data for Cameroon →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cameroon 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 Cameroon?
The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 1991.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Cameroon?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 1985.
How does Cameroon rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Cameroon ranks 143rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Cameroon?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Cameroon 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 — 32 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.