Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Philippines
Philippines: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.1% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Philippines, 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 Philippines is 0.1%, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and down 18.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Philippines peaked at 0.2% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2019.
That places Philippines 140th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Philippines
- 137 East Timor 0.2% compare
- 138 South Africa 0.1% compare
- 139 Sweden 0.1% compare
- 141 Democratic Republic of Congo 0.1% compare
- 142 Bangladesh 0.1% compare
- 143 Cameroon 0.1% compare
More reference data data for Philippines
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.2869 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.7374 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.2172 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.0518 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.6992 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 162.31 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Philippines?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Philippines 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 Philippines?
- The highest recorded value was 0.2% in 1998.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Philippines?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2019.
- How does Philippines rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Philippines ranks 140th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Philippines?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Philippines 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.