Germany vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Military personnel as a share of total population

Germany
0.2%
in 2022
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
0.2%
in 2022
Germany rank
103rd
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
102nd

Military personnel as a share of total population over time

  • Germany
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
02.557.51012.5181619192022

How they compare

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 0.2% against 0.2% in Germany, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 20 times across 162 shared years of data; in 1816 it was United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.

Germany ranks 103rd and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 102nd of 194 countries.

Across the 18 decades both report, Germany averaged higher in 11 and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in 7.

Head to head by decade

Decade Germany United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Difference Ahead
1810s 1.2% 1.0% 0.3% Germany
1820s 1.1% 0.6% 0.4% Germany
1830s 1.0% 0.6% 0.4% Germany
1840s 0.9% 0.7% 0.2% Germany
1850s 0.8% 0.9% 0.1% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1860s 1.0% 1.0% 0.0% Germany
1870s 1.1% 0.8% 0.4% Germany
1880s 1.0% 0.7% 0.3% Germany
1890s 1.1% 0.8% 0.3% Germany
1900s 1.1% 1.0% 0.1% Germany
1910s 3.5% 4.2% 0.7% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1920s 0.2% 0.8% 0.6% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1930s 0.8% 0.7% 0.1% Germany
1940s 6.6% 7.1% 0.5% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
1990s 0.5% 0.4% 0.0% Germany
2000s 0.3% 0.3% 0.0% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2010s 0.2% 0.3% 0.0% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.0% United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
0.0%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Germany and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
162 years are reported by both, from 1816 to 2022.
How do Germany and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for military personnel as a share of total population?
Germany ranks 103rd and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 102nd 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: 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 10 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/compare/military-personnel-as-a-share-of-total-population/germany/united-kingdom/

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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.