Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Central African Republic

Central African Republic: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
0.2%
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
123rd
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.2%
in 2018
All-time low
0.0%
in 2004
Years of data
32
1985–2020

Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Central African Republic, 1985–2020

0.050.10.150.21985200220201985: 0.088 %1989: 0.18 %1990: 0.139 %1991: 0.135 %1992: 0.131 %1993: 0.127 %1994: 0.123 %1995: 0.149 %1996: 0.146 %1997: 0.142 %1998: 0.136 %1999: 0.134 %2000: 0.141 %2001: 0.107 %2002: 0.089 %2003: 0.088 %2004: 0.048 %2005: 0.07 %2007: 0.067 %2008: 0.066 %2009: 0.07 %2010: 0.07 %2011: 0.069 %2012: 0.177 %2013: 0.176 %2014: 0.176 %2015: 0.176 %2016: 0.173 %2017: 0.167 %2018: 0.208 %2019: 0.202 %2020: 0.199 %

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

Central African Republic recorded 0.2% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020.

That represents a change of down 1.6% on the previous year and up 183.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Central African Republic peaked at 0.2% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2004.

Central African Republic ranks 123rd of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 2
1990s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 10
2000s 0.1% 0.0% 0.1% 9
2010s 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1

Countries ranked near Central African Republic

  1. 120 Belgium 0.2% compare
  2. 121 Japan 0.2% compare
  3. 122 Uzbekistan 0.2% compare
  4. 124 Guinea-Bissau 0.2% compare
  5. 125 Costa Rica 0.2% compare
  6. 126 New Zealand 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Central African Republic

All data for Central African Republic →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Central African Republic?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Central African Republic was 0.2% 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 Central African Republic?
The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 2018.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Central African Republic?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2004.
How does Central African Republic rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Central African Republic ranks 123rd out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Central African Republic?
Over the last ten years it is up 183.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Central African Republic 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 — 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.