Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Liberia

Liberia: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.0% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
0.0%
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
166th
of 173 countries
All-time high
1.0%
in 1996
All-time low
0.0%
in 2020
Years of data
30
1985–2020

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

00.20.40.60.811985200220201985: 0.303 %1989: 0.278 %1990: 0.36 %1991: 0.256 %1992: 0.097 %1995: 0.968 %1996: 0.986 %1997: 0.912 %1998: 0.524 %1999: 0.188 %2000: 0.512 %2001: 0.497 %2002: 0.485 %2003: 0.481 %2005: 0.454 %2006: 0.057 %2007: 0.055 %2008: 0.052 %2009: 0.052 %2010: 0.05 %2011: 0.049 %2012: 0.047 %2013: 0.046 %2014: 0.045 %2015: 0.044 %2016: 0.043 %2017: 0.041 %2018: 0.042 %2019: 0.04 %2020: 0.039 %

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

Liberia recorded 0.0% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 30 years on record.

The figure is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 22.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Liberia peaked at 1.0% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2020.

Liberia ranks 166th 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 2
1990s 0.5% 0.1% 1.0% 8
2000s 0.3% 0.1% 0.5% 9
2010s 0.0% 0.0% 0.1% 10
2020s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0% 1

Countries ranked near Liberia

  1. 163 Tanzania 0.0% compare
  2. 164 Niger 0.0% compare
  3. 165 Papua New Guinea 0.0% compare
  4. 167 Mozambique 0.0% compare
  5. 168 Haiti 0.0% compare
  6. 169 Antigua and Barbuda 0.0% compare
  7. 169 Iceland 0.0% compare
  8. 169 Libya 0.0% compare
  9. 169 Palestine 0.0% compare
  10. 169 Seychelles 0.0% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Liberia

All data for Liberia →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Liberia?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Liberia 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 Liberia?
The highest recorded value was 1.0% in 1996.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Liberia?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2020.
How does Liberia rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Liberia ranks 166th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Liberia?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Liberia 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.