Germany vs Switzerland: Military personnel as a share of total population

Germany
0.2%
in 2022
Switzerland
0.2%
in 2022
Germany rank
103rd
Switzerland rank
100th

Military personnel as a share of total population over time

  • Germany
  • Switzerland
051015181619192022

How they compare

Switzerland currently reports 0.2% against 0.2% in Germany, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 13 times across 163 shared years of data; in 1816 it was Germany ahead.

Germany ranks 103rd and Switzerland ranks 100th of 194 countries.

Across the 18 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 14 and Switzerland in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany Switzerland Difference Ahead
1810s 1.2% 0.0% 1.2% Germany
1820s 1.1% 0.0% 1.1% Germany
1830s 1.0% 0.0% 1.0% Germany
1840s 0.9% 0.0% 0.9% Germany
1850s 0.8% 0.1% 0.7% Germany
1860s 1.0% 0.0% 1.0% Germany
1870s 1.1% 0.0% 1.1% Germany
1880s 1.0% 0.0% 1.0% Germany
1890s 1.1% 0.0% 1.1% Germany
1900s 1.1% 0.0% 1.1% Germany
1910s 3.8% 2.6% 1.3% Germany
1920s 0.2% 0.0% 0.2% Germany
1930s 0.8% 0.0% 0.8% Germany
1940s 6.6% 12.7% 6.1% Switzerland
1990s 0.5% 0.5% 0.0% Switzerland
2000s 0.3% 0.2% 0.1% Germany
2010s 0.2% 0.3% 0.0% Switzerland
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% Switzerland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher military personnel as a share of total population, Germany or Switzerland?
Switzerland, at 0.2% against 0.2% in Germany as of 2022.
What is the difference in military personnel as a share of total population between Germany and Switzerland?
0.0%, with Switzerland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and Switzerland?
163 years are reported by both, from 1816 to 2022.
How do Germany and Switzerland rank globally for military personnel as a share of total population?
Germany ranks 103rd and Switzerland ranks 100th of 194 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Germany vs Switzerland: Military personnel as a share of total population. Statizoid, drawing on Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/military-personnel-as-a-share-of-total-population/germany/switzerland/

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About this data

Indicator
Military personnel as a share of total population
Unit
%
Source
Correlates of War - National Material Capabilities Version 7.0 (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
194 places, 15,765 data points, 1816–2022
Last refreshed

Ratio of military personnel to total population, expressed as a percentage.