Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iceland
Iceland: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iceland, 1995–2020
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
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iceland is 0.0%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.
The figure is down 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iceland peaked at 0.1% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2017.
That places Iceland 169th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 9 |
| 2020s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Iceland
- 166 Liberia 0.0% compare
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- 169 Libya 0.0% compare
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- 169 Seychelles 0.0% compare
More reference data data for Iceland
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.5453 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.1076 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.09 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.653 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 3.5 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 179.82 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 Iceland?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Iceland was 0.0% 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 Iceland?
- The highest recorded value was 0.1% in 2015.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Iceland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2017.
- How does Iceland rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Iceland ranks 169th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Iceland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 100.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iceland 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.