Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in New Zealand
New Zealand: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in New Zealand, 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
The most recent figure for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in New Zealand is 0.2%, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 9.3% on the previous year and down 11.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in New Zealand peaked at 0.4% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2019.
New Zealand ranks 126th of 173 countries on this measure, 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% | 0.4% | 0.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 123 Central African Republic 0.2% compare
- 124 Guinea-Bissau 0.2% compare
- 125 Costa Rica 0.2% compare
- 127 Moldova 0.2% compare
- 128 Cape Verde 0.2% compare
- 129 Mali 0.2% compare
More reference data data for New Zealand
- Summer temperature anomalies 1.76 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.0464 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.2008 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Consumer price index 144.86 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5251 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.5536 °C (2025)
- Democracy 7 (2025)
- Free country 2 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in New Zealand?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in New Zealand 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 1985.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2019.
- How does New Zealand rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- New Zealand ranks 126th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in New Zealand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this New Zealand 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.