Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Malta
Malta: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Malta, 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
Malta recorded 0.4% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 23.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Malta peaked at 0.5% in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 1985.
That places Malta 81st out of 173 regions with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.4% | 0.2% | 0.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malta
More reference data data for Malta
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Consumer price index 134.53 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Elected parliament 1 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 1 (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 1 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Malta?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Malta was 0.4% 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 Malta?
- The highest recorded value was 0.5% in 1989.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Malta?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 1985.
- How does Malta rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Malta ranks 81st out of 173 regions with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Malta?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malta 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.