Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Lithuania

Lithuania: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 1.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
1.3%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
12th
of 173 countries
All-time high
1.4%
in 2018
All-time low
0.2%
in 1995
Years of data
29
1992–2020

Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Lithuania, 1992–2020

0.250.50.7511.21.51992200620201992: 0.27 %1993: 0.272 %1994: 0.274 %1995: 0.245 %1996: 0.275 %1997: 0.281 %1998: 0.424 %1999: 0.455 %2000: 0.474 %2001: 0.495 %2002: 0.793 %2003: 0.799 %2004: 0.829 %2005: 0.873 %2006: 0.734 %2007: 0.743 %2008: 0.75 %2009: 0.798 %2010: 0.815 %2011: 0.771 %2012: 0.781 %2013: 0.742 %2014: 0.934 %2015: 0.975 %2016: 1 %2017: 1.2 %2018: 1.4 %2019: 1.3 %2020: 1.3 %

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

Lithuania recorded 1.3% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 62.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Lithuania peaked at 1.4% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1995.

That places Lithuania 12th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.3% 0.2% 0.5% 8
2000s 0.7% 0.5% 0.9% 10
2010s 1.0% 0.7% 1.4% 10
2020s 1.3% 1.3% 1.3% 1

Countries ranked near Lithuania

  1. 9 Sri Lanka 1.4% compare
  2. 10 Lebanon 1.4% compare
  3. 11 Greece 1.4% compare
  4. 13 Bahrain 1.3% compare
  5. 14 Syria 1.3% compare
  6. 15 Venezuela 1.2% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Lithuania

All data for Lithuania →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Lithuania?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Lithuania was 1.3% 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 Lithuania?
The highest recorded value was 1.4% in 2018.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Lithuania?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1995.
How does Lithuania rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Lithuania ranks 12th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Lithuania?
Over the last ten years it is up 62.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Lithuania 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.