Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Moldova

Moldova: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.2%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
127th
of 173 countries
All-time high
0.3%
in 1996
All-time low
0.2%
in 2019
Years of data
29
1992–2020

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

00.10.20.31992200620201992: 0.202 %1993: 0.292 %1994: 0.248 %1995: 0.347 %1996: 0.349 %1997: 0.331 %1998: 0.335 %1999: 0.328 %2000: 0.305 %2001: 0.277 %2002: 0.256 %2003: 0.252 %2004: 0.222 %2005: 0.251 %2006: 0.204 %2007: 0.234 %2008: 0.212 %2009: 0.209 %2010: 0.213 %2011: 0.218 %2012: 0.223 %2013: 0.227 %2014: 0.232 %2015: 0.23 %2016: 0.233 %2017: 0.219 %2018: 0.195 %2019: 0.193 %2020: 0.195 %

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 Moldova is 0.2%, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Moldova peaked at 0.3% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2019.

That places Moldova 127th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.3% 0.2% 0.3% 8
2000s 0.2% 0.2% 0.3% 10
2010s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1

Countries ranked near Moldova

  1. 124 Guinea-Bissau 0.2% compare
  2. 125 Costa Rica 0.2% compare
  3. 126 New Zealand 0.2% compare
  4. 128 Cape Verde 0.2% compare
  5. 129 Mali 0.2% compare
  6. 130 Canada 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 173 places →

More reference data data for Moldova

All data for Moldova →

Frequently asked questions

What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Moldova?
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Moldova was 0.2% 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 Moldova?
The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 1996.
What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Moldova?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2019.
How does Moldova rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
Moldova ranks 127th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Moldova?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Moldova 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.