Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Venezuela
Venezuela: Armed forces personnel as a share of total population was 1.2% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Venezuela, 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
Venezuela recorded 1.2% for armed forces personnel as a share of total population in 2020. That is the highest value across all 32 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 202.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Venezuela peaked at 1.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1985.
That places Venezuela 15th out of 173 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.8% | 0.4% | 1.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Venezuela
More reference data data for Venezuela
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.7484 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.717 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.01 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5589 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.7491 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 2,740 2010 = 100 (2016)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Venezuela?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Venezuela was 1.2% 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 Venezuela?
- The highest recorded value was 1.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Venezuela?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1985.
- How does Venezuela rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Venezuela ranks 15th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Venezuela?
- Over the last ten years it is up 202.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Venezuela 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 — 32 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.