Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Djibouti

Djibouti: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 1.2% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
1.2%
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
16th
of 173 countries
All-time high
2.0%
in 1995
All-time low
0.5%
in 1991
Years of data
32
1985–2020

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

0.511.521985200220201985: 0.745 %1989: 0.764 %1990: 0.69 %1991: 0.475 %1992: 1.3 %1993: 1.3 %1994: 1.3 %1995: 2 %1996: 1.9 %1997: 1.9 %1998: 1.8 %1999: 1.7 %2000: 1.7 %2001: 1.6 %2002: 1.5 %2003: 1.5 %2004: 1.3 %2005: 1.5 %2007: 1.4 %2008: 1.5 %2009: 1.4 %2010: 1.4 %2011: 1.4 %2012: 1.3 %2013: 1.3 %2014: 1.3 %2015: 1.3 %2016: 1.3 %2017: 1.2 %2018: 1.3 %2019: 1.2 %2020: 1.2 %

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

Djibouti recorded 1.2% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020.

The figure is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Djibouti peaked at 2.0% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 1991.

That places Djibouti 16th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.8% 0.7% 0.8% 2
1990s 1.4% 0.5% 2.0% 10
2000s 1.5% 1.3% 1.7% 9
2010s 1.3% 1.2% 1.4% 10
2020s 1.2% 1.2% 1.2% 1

Countries ranked near Djibouti

  1. 13 Bahrain 1.3% compare
  2. 14 Syria 1.3% compare
  3. 15 Venezuela 1.2% compare
  4. 17 Cambodia 1.1% compare
  5. 18 South Korea 1.1% compare
  6. 19 Iraq 1.1% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Djibouti

All data for Djibouti →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Djibouti?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Djibouti was 1.2% 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 Djibouti?
The highest recorded value was 2.0% in 1995.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Djibouti?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 1991.
How does Djibouti rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Djibouti ranks 16th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Djibouti?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Djibouti 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.