Police officers per 1000 people in United States

United States: Police officers per 1000 people was 2.98 in 2015. β–² Rising

Latest (2015)
2.98
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
79th
of 103 countries
All-time high
4.31
in 1990
All-time low
2.58
in 1976
Years of data
30
1973–2015

Police officers per 1000 people in United States, 1973–2015

012341973199420151973: 41975: 2.61976: 2.61977: 2.61978: 2.61979: 2.61980: 3.21982: 3.21984: 3.61986: 3.61990: 4.31994: 41995: 3.51997: 3.51999: 3.42001: 4.32002: 4.32003: 3.32004: 3.32005: 3.32006: 3.32007: 3.32008: 3.32009: 3.32010: 3.32011: 3.22012: 3.12013: 32014: 32015: 3

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for police officers per 1000 people in United States is 2.98, measured in 2015.

The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 9.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, police officers per 1000 people in United States peaked at 4.31 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 2.58, in 1976.

That places United States 79th out of 103 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 2.85 2.58 4.04 6
1980s 3.4 3.17 3.62 4
1990s 3.74 3.43 4.31 5
2000s 3.52 3.28 4.27 9
2010s 3.1 2.97 3.28 6

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 76 Sweden 3.04 compare
  2. 77 Japan 3.02 compare
  3. 78 New Zealand 2.98 compare
  4. 80 Iceland 2.96 compare
  5. 81 Guatemala 2.93 compare
  6. 82 Canada 2.91 compare

See the full ranking of 103 places β†’

More reference data data for United States

All data for United States β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is police officers per 1000 people in United States?
Police officers per 1000 people in United States was 2.98 in 2015, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest police officers per 1000 people recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 4.31 in 1990.
What is the lowest police officers per 1000 people recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 2.58 in 1976.
How does United States rank for police officers per 1000 people?
United States ranks 79th out of 103 countries with data for 2015.
Is police officers per 1000 people rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Police officers per 1000 people. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Police officers per 1000 people in United States. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/police-officers-per-1000-people/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Police officers per 1000 people
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
103 places, 1,617 data points, 1973–2015
Last refreshed