Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Costa Rica, 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 Costa Rica stood at 0.2%. That is the lowest value across all 31 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Costa Rica peaked at 0.6% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2020.
Costa Rica ranks 125th of 173 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
- 122 Uzbekistan 0.2% compare
- 123 Central African Republic 0.2% compare
- 124 Guinea-Bissau 0.2% compare
- 126 New Zealand 0.2% compare
- 127 Moldova 0.2% compare
- 128 Cape Verde 0.2% compare
More reference data data for Costa Rica
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2864 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.8623 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.1052 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.3865 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.3144 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 143 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Costa Rica?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 2002.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2020.
- How does Costa Rica rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Costa Rica ranks 125th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.