Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Yemen
Yemen: 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 Yemen, 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
In 2020, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Yemen stood at 0.1%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and down 78.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Yemen peaked at 0.9% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2018.
That places Yemen 148th 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 | 0.5% | 0.5% | 0.6% | 2 |
| 1990s | 0.6% | 0.4% | 0.9% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.6% | 0.5% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Yemen
More reference data data for Yemen
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.942 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month -0.1292 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.5034 °C (2026)
- Civil liberties rating 6 (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected 0 (2025)
- Elected parliament 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 1.13 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 0.2632 °C (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Yemen?
- Armed forces personnel as a share of total population in Yemen 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 Yemen?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9% in 1990.
- What is the lowest armed forces personnel as a share of total population recorded in Yemen?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2018.
- How does Yemen rank for armed forces personnel as a share of total population?
- Yemen ranks 148th out of 173 countries with data for 2020.
- Is armed forces personnel as a share of total population rising or falling in Yemen?
- Over the last ten years it is down 78.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Yemen 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.