Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cyprus

Cyprus: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 1.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
1.0%
Change on year
down 19.7%
World rank
24th
of 173 countries
All-time high
1.8%
in 1989
All-time low
1.0%
in 2009
Years of data
31
1985–2020

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

00.511.521985200220201985: 1.4 %1989: 1.8 %1990: 1.3 %1991: 1.3 %1992: 1.2 %1995: 1.6 %1996: 1.6 %1997: 1.2 %1998: 1.2 %1999: 1.2 %2000: 1.1 %2001: 1.1 %2002: 1 %2003: 1 %2004: 1.1 %2005: 1 %2006: 1 %2007: 1 %2008: 0.985 %2009: 0.969 %2010: 1.1 %2011: 1.1 %2012: 1.1 %2013: 1.1 %2014: 1.1 %2015: 1 %2016: 1.3 %2017: 1.3 %2018: 1.3 %2019: 1.2 %2020: 0.998 %

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 Cyprus is 1.0%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of down 19.7% on the previous year and down 11.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cyprus peaked at 1.8% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 1.0%, in 2009.

That places Cyprus 24th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 1.6% 1.4% 1.8% 2
1990s 1.3% 1.2% 1.6% 8
2000s 1.0% 1.0% 1.1% 10
2010s 1.2% 1.0% 1.3% 10
2020s 1.0% 1.0% 1.0% 1

Countries ranked near Cyprus

  1. 21 Singapore 1.0% compare
  2. 22 Oman 1.0% compare
  3. 23 Bhutan 1.0% compare
  4. 25 Russia 1.0% compare
  5. 26 Saudi Arabia 0.9% compare
  6. 27 Myanmar 0.9% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Cyprus

All data for Cyprus →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cyprus?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Cyprus was 1.0% 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 Cyprus?
The highest recorded value was 1.8% in 1989.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Cyprus?
The lowest recorded value was 1.0% in 2009.
How does Cyprus rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Cyprus ranks 24th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Cyprus?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Cyprus 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 — 31 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.