Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Portugal
Portugal: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 0.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Portugal, 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 Portugal is 0.5%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 41.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Portugal peaked at 1.2% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2020.
That places Portugal 61st 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 33 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.0% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.9% | 0.7% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9% | 0.9% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More reference data data for Portugal
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.5537 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 2.05 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3824 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies -0.3904 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.0004 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 132.05 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 Portugal?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Portugal was 0.5% 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 1.2% in 1994.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2020.
- How does Portugal rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Portugal ranks 61st out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 41.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal 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 — 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.