Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Congo

Congo: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.2%
World rank
119th
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.6%
in 1989
All-time low
0.0%
in 2019
Years of data
32
1985–2020

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

00.20.40.61985200220201985: 0.422 %1989: 0.648 %1990: 0.378 %1991: 0.367 %1992: 0.397 %1993: 0.385 %1994: 0.374 %1995: 0.607 %1996: 0.531 %1997: 0.519 %1998: 0.508 %1999: 0.495 %2000: 0.476 %2001: 0.367 %2002: 0.358 %2003: 0.348 %2004: 0.337 %2005: 0.325 %2007: 0.301 %2008: 0.292 %2009: 0.28 %2010: 0.269 %2011: 0.26 %2012: 0.253 %2013: 0.247 %2014: 0.241 %2015: 0.235 %2016: 0.23 %2017: 0.224 %2018: 0.219 %2019: 0 %2020: 0.209 %

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 Congo is 0.2%, measured in 2020.

The figure is down 22.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Congo peaked at 0.6% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2019.

That places Congo 119th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.5% 0.4% 0.6% 2
1990s 0.5% 0.4% 0.6% 10
2000s 0.3% 0.3% 0.5% 9
2010s 0.2% 0.0% 0.3% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1

Countries ranked near Congo

  1. 116 Germany 0.2% compare
  2. 117 India 0.2% compare
  3. 118 Jamaica 0.2% compare
  4. 120 Belgium 0.2% compare
  5. 121 Japan 0.2% compare
  6. 122 Uzbekistan 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Congo

All data for Congo →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Congo?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Congo 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 Congo?
The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 1989.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Congo?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2019.
How does Congo rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Congo ranks 119th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Congo?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Congo 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

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.