Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Madagascar

Madagascar: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.1%
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
158th
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.2%
in 1995
All-time low
0.1%
in 2020
Years of data
32
1985–2020

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

00.050.10.150.21985200220201985: 0.202 %1989: 0.179 %1990: 0.174 %1991: 0.169 %1992: 0.164 %1993: 0.159 %1994: 0.154 %1995: 0.203 %1996: 0.196 %1997: 0.19 %1998: 0.184 %1999: 0.178 %2000: 0.173 %2001: 0.127 %2002: 0.123 %2003: 0.12 %2004: 0.113 %2005: 0.115 %2007: 0.108 %2008: 0.105 %2009: 0.1 %2010: 0.097 %2011: 0.095 %2012: 0.092 %2013: 0.09 %2014: 0.087 %2015: 0.085 %2016: 0.083 %2017: 0.082 %2018: 0.078 %2019: 0.078 %2020: 0.076 %

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 Madagascar is 0.1%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 32 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 22.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Madagascar peaked at 0.2% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2020.

That places Madagascar 158th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 2
1990s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 10
2000s 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 9
2010s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 10
2020s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 1

Countries ranked near Madagascar

  1. 155 Somalia 0.1% compare
  2. 156 Zambia 0.1% compare
  3. 157 Malawi 0.1% compare
  4. 159 Equatorial Guinea 0.1% compare
  5. 160 Burkina Faso 0.1% compare
  6. 161 Ghana 0.1% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Madagascar

All data for Madagascar →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Madagascar?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Madagascar 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 Madagascar?
The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 1995.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Madagascar?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2020.
How does Madagascar rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Madagascar ranks 158th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Madagascar?
Over the last ten years it is down 22.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Madagascar 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.