Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Croatia

Croatia: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
0.5%
Change on year
up 12.0%
World rank
59th
of 173 countries
All-time high
3.2%
in 1995
All-time low
0.4%
in 2017
Years of data
29
1992–2020

Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Croatia, 1992–2020

01231992200620201992: 2.2 %1993: 1.7 %1994: 1.5 %1995: 3.2 %1996: 2.3 %1997: 2.2 %1998: 2.2 %1999: 2.3 %2000: 2.3 %2001: 1.6 %2002: 1.4 %2003: 0.715 %2004: 0.696 %2005: 0.719 %2006: 0.487 %2007: 0.487 %2008: 0.51 %2009: 0.501 %2010: 0.502 %2011: 0.505 %2012: 0.459 %2013: 0.461 %2014: 0.463 %2015: 0.443 %2016: 0.448 %2017: 0.441 %2018: 0.452 %2019: 0.452 %2020: 0.506 %

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 Croatia stood at 0.5%.

The figure is up 12.0% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Croatia peaked at 3.2% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2017.

That places Croatia 59th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.2% 1.5% 3.2% 8
2000s 0.9% 0.5% 2.3% 10
2010s 0.5% 0.4% 0.5% 10
2020s 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 1

Countries ranked near Croatia

  1. 56 Vietnam 0.5% compare
  2. 57 Estonia 0.5% compare
  3. 58 Belize 0.5% compare
  4. 60 Bahamas 0.5% compare
  5. 61 Portugal 0.5% compare
  6. 62 South Sudan 0.5% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Croatia

All data for Croatia →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Croatia?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Croatia was 0.5% 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 Croatia?
The highest recorded value was 3.2% in 1995.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Croatia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2017.
How does Croatia rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Croatia ranks 59th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Croatia?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Croatia 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.