Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Ethiopia, 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
Ethiopia recorded 0.1% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 23.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Ethiopia peaked at 0.5% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2020.
Ethiopia ranks 145th of 173 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More reference data data for Ethiopia
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.8567 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.21 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2007 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4577 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.8867 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 1,176 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Ethiopia?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Ethiopia was 0.1% 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 Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5% in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2020.
- How does Ethiopia rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Ethiopia ranks 145th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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
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.